Protecting Jace: Outtakes
by Paradoxing
Summary: A small collection of outtakes that did not make it into Protecting Jace. Do not read if you have not finished the original story to avoid spoilers. The chapters may range from action, comedy, and a lot of fluff. Hope you enjoy :)
1. The Curious Case of Olivia

**Hello, my lovelies. It's so good to be talking to you guys after all this time. I'm sure you've been wondering where I've been for the past few months and honestly, I've been so busy with school that I've barely had time to write. But recently, some things have opened up and I've got a lot more time on my hands, which means more content for you guys. So, without further or do, here's the first outtake from Protecting Jace.**

 **Thanks to my beta, Avanymous, this chapter has been edited.**

 **Disclaimer: All TMI characters belong to Cassandra Clare :)**

 **For reference: This outtake takes place several months after Clary returns from Isolation. She is 18 and Jace is 19. They are both working for the Agency.**

* * *

 _Chapter Songs:_

 _**Bust a Move by Young MC (Scene 1)_

 _**Saturn by Sleeping At Last (Scene 2)_

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Late that night, Clary lay stretched along Jace's bed, wrapped up in his cloud-like sheets. Waking slightly, she reached out for her boyfriend, finding nothing but cold space in front of her. With a groan of annoyance, she began scooting back, her eyes still clamped shut. She must have waken him with all of her rustling because a low chuckle emanated behind her, then his arm slid around her waist as he tugged her back against his warm chest. She let out a calming sigh and attempted to drift back off to sleep, but she was startled awake moments later as both of their Agency cellphones began blaring on the nightstand, alerting them of a new mission.

Nudging Jace onto his back, Clary immediately turned and stretched over him, reaching for her phone. Jace groaned as she put in her passcode and read the details of the mission.

"Jesus Christ, it's—" he paused to squint at the red digital numbers on his alarm clock, "two o'clock in the morning. Can't we deal with the gang bangers and drug dealers when the sun comes up?"

Clary shook her head, still laying across his chest as she read. "It isn't the gangs this time," she told him.

His hand slid to the center of her back and moved up to her shoulder blades and down over her ass, repeating the action mindlessly. "Then what is it?"

Typing quickly, she pulled up a picture of their target and showed him. "That's Philip Graham. He's been wanted for child trafficking for about three years now and it looks like they just nabbed his location." She watched him for a moment, moving a few curls out of his eyes. "Do you want to take it?"

"Hell yeah, we're taking this." He hit accept and handed the phone back to her, now looking wide awake. With a smirk, he patted her thigh and flipped them over, making her giggle as he pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. "Duty calls, Agent Morgenstern. Now get your sexy ass out of bed and gear up."

Rolling her eyes, Clary shoved him off of her and jumped to her feet. As she walked toward their dresser, she reached down and lifted his shirt over her head, exposing her back to him. Jace groaned and seconds later, he was behind her, his hands gripping her waist.

She laughed. "We're supposed to be gearing up, remember?"

"That's kind of hard to do when you're standing here looking like a Greek Goddess," he murmured into her neck.

Clary shook her head and slipped on her bra, clasping it behind her before turning around. Leaning upward, she pecked him on the lips and spread her hands over his chest. "Put on some clothes, jackass. You've got five minutes or I'm kicking this guy's ass without you."

After unabashedly staring at her half-naked body for a few more moments, Jace shook himself out of his stupor and moved to get dressed himself, both of them donning their Agent attire in record time. As Clary loaded their guns and sharpened their knives, Jace sat on the edge of the bed and memorized the route they needed to take.

"How long?" she asked once he stood again.

"Just under ten minutes, but I can get us there in five."

She handed over his guns and knives, taking a second to admire him in all black before arming up herself. After putting on a jacket and making sure that his weapons were securely tucked away, Jace grabbed his keys and turned towards her.

"You ready, Tiger?"

Clary stopped sharpening her butterfly knife and quickly flipped it closed, tucking it into her boot. Then she smirked. "Let's nail this guy."

With a nod, Jace flipped on his hood and moved toward his window, undoing the latch. Clary followed, watching as he lifted it and jumped out, tucking and rolling onto the grass below. Then he stood and brushed himself off, lifting his arms to catch her as she jumped after him, his hands grasping her hips as she landed. Taking one last look around, they strode silently towards his car, careful not to make any noises that would wake his fraternity brothers.

Once they were in the car and peeling out onto the road, Clary leaned forward to fiddle with the radio, hoping that there was something on that would loosen them up. When the opening to _Bust A Move_ began playing, she sent her boyfriend a grin and turned it up. His eyes lit up with amusement as she began rapping the opening lyrics, her dance moves soon following. Jace kept his gaze between her and the road as he drove quickly, his lips curving into a grin as she totally embarrassed herself. But she could tell by the look on his face that he was loving every bit of it.

Reaching over the center console, he grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, laughing against her knuckles as she finished the last of the song and took a bow. "Oh, that was amazing. You should serenade me more often."

"You're going to regret those words," she said.

He kissed her palm and dropped both of their hands to her lap, still grinning. "I doubt it."

Moments later, they pulled up in front of a sketchy-looking house at the end of a barely lit road. It definitely looked like the kind of place someone with a bad reputation would want to hide out in. But it was only a matter of time before they got caught. This man was going to pay for what he did to those children, and she and Jace were going to be the ones to make it happen.

Shifting the car into reverse, Jace drove away from the house and parked about a block away. Cutting the engine, he shoved his keys into his pocket and joined her outside. The sound of chirping crickets and a lone flickering streetlight were all they heard as they quickly made their way to their target's front door.

"Do you think he has company?" Jace asked.

"Only one way to find out." She lifted her hand to knock on the door, but paused for a second. Reaching out, she grabbed the front of Jace's shirt and pulled him down to her, pressing a kiss to his lips.

When she released him, he leaned back and raised a brow.

"For good luck," she told him.

"Of course." He grinned and took several steps back, hiding his figure in the dark. "Carry on."

Releasing a breath, Clary turned back toward the door and knocked. After a beat of silence, footsteps neared the door and as the person on the other side twisted the knob, she immediately changed her expression to that of a lost, naive teenage girl. The door creaked open slowly, revealing a man that she didn't recognize. She tapped her leg twice to signal to Jace that this wasn't their guy before turning her attention back to the scruffy man.

"What do you want?" he grunted, looking totally drugged out.

Clary feigned nervousness. "Hi, sorry to bother you, sir, but I was on my way home from a party and I think I made a few wrong turns. I normally wouldn't do this, but this is the second dead end street I've come across, so I was wondering if you could help steer me back in the right direction."

He just stood there for a second, then his eyes moved up and down the length of her body. "I don't know . . ." He seemed skeptical of her story.

"It would really mean a lot," she said.

He scanned the barely lit street around her, as if he were worried someone was watching them. Clary was sure some of the paranoia was being caused by the drugs, or maybe he somehow sensed that they weren't alone. From the doorway, she heard the sound of a beer can being cracked open and she couldn't help her gaze from traveling over his shoulder to the men lounging around a wooden table, one of which she recognized as their target.

The man's eyes abruptly cut to her. "I have to go. Try a neighbor." He fumbled for the door handle to close it, so focused on his actions that he didn't see Jace come out of his hiding spot.

Before anyone could stop him, Jace lifted his foot and kicked the door open, knocking it into the man's face. He stumbled back, falling into a set of stairs behind him and they used that opportunity to invite themselves inside.

As they forced themselves into the house, Clary reached back and grabbed her gun, aiming it at the three startled men in the smelly living space.

"What's this?" one of them yelled. "Who are you?"

Clary ignored him. "Alright, you sick bastards. I'm here for one man and one man only. So if your name isn't Philip Graham, I suggest you either kick rocks or my partner and I will find a place to bury a few of our bullets."

One of the men turned to their target. "You know these guys, Phil?"

He scoffed. "Thanks for giving me away, dipshit."

The man's eyes widened. "I—"

"Give it a rest," she said. "I already know who you are. So, I'll say this again. If your name isn't Philip Graham, get the hell out of here. And when you consider calling the police, ask yourselves if you're willing to risk becoming an accomplice to his crimes just to save his ass."

The men began looking at each other, most likely contemplating whether or not she was bluffing. But she didn't have all day. Either they made a decision or she'd make one for them. The Agency wanted Philip Graham by any means necessary, even if it meant taking his friends down with him.

"Screw this. William!" Not even a second after he said the name, the same man they'd knocked into the stairs came barreling towards them, a crazed look in his eyes as he zeroed in on Jace.

Her boyfriend gave a roll of his eyes and moved his gun in his hand, holding it by the barrel. And before the man could even draw back his fist, Jace swung out, smashing the handle of his gun against his head, rendering him unconscious. Clary made the mistake of turning to check on him, momentarily taking her eyes off of their target, which gave his friend the perfect opportunity to try to disarm her. She felt the hands on her gun before she saw them, but once she did, her body immediately switched into fight mode. Narrowing her eyes, she lifted her foot and buried it into the man's groin, making him loosen his grip on her gun. He dropped to his knees afterward, giving her the perfect opportunity to knee him in the face. As he fell back and clutched his gushing nose, Clary kicked him onto his stomach and leaned down to quickly zip tie his wrists together.

Two down. Two to go.

Movement in her peripheral vision made her attention snap to the man farthest from them. He was slowly reaching for something near the couch and without hesitation, Clary flicked one of her knives in his direction. The man cursed loudly as the sharp metal impaled his shirt to the couch, narrowly missing his shoulder and dangerously close to his face.

"Keep your hands where I can see them, sticky fingers," Clary said, grabbing another knife. "Or this one is going somewhere a lot less pleasant." Keeping her eyes locked on him, she gave Jace the okay to tie up both him and Philip Graham.

Once he was finished, Clary stood in front of their target, eyes narrowed as she twirled her knife around her fingers. He looked way worse in person than he had in the photo the Agency had on file. The receding hairline, thick beard, beer belly, and greasy sweats perfectly fit the image of his creepy persona.

Graham sneered up at her. "Are you gonna at least read me my rights?"

"We're not cops, dumbass." She leaned down, holding her knife against his throat. "You lost the privilege of rights the second you kidnapped and sold all those helpless children. There's no phone call, no bail, no trial. You're going right where you belong— behind bars, where you'll rot for the rest of your pathetic life."

There was a flash of fear in his eyes but he quickly covered it up with a smug expression. "You can't prove anything."

Clary opened her mouth, ready to spout his long list of offenses, but a soft thud from upstairs shut her up. She turned to Jace. "Did you hear that?"

His eyes were on the ceiling. "Yeah."

Removing her knife from the creep's throat, Clary stood and grabbed her gun. "Stay here. I'll go check it out."

Jace nodded, keeping his own gun pointed at their target. "Be careful," he said softly.

She sent him a wink. "Always."

Slipping past him, Clary made her way over to the stairs, her finger hovering over the trigger, ready to fire at anyone who may have been hiding. The house was small, so there wasn't exactly much ground to cover. All of her senses were on high alert once she reached the top of the stairs and began walking down the narrow hallway. There were only three doors—two on the right and one on the left. Quickly checking the first door on the right, she saw that it was just an empty bathroom.

Continuing on, she moved toward the door on the left and nudged it open, flicking on the light. What would have been a bedroom was filled with junk and smelled like the inside of a high school boys' locker room. Seeing that this room was empty also, Clary released a sigh and glided over to the last door, bracing herself for anything.

"I know you're in there," she said. "But before you think about doing something stupid, I've got a fully loaded nine millimeter that I won't hesitate to use."

Silence was her answer, but when she reached out to turn the knob, she was surprised to find that it was locked. Not a second after she jiggled the knob, Clary heard a little more shuffling on the other side of the door. Someone was definitely in there. Keeping her tight grip on her gun, Clary took a step back and lifted her foot, slamming the heel of her combat boot into the door. The already brittle wood gave way, crashing into the wall inside of the room, leaving the threshold empty. Stepping inside, Clary reached for the light switch, which was connected to the lights on the ceiling fan.

Her eyes scanned the room, but something about it was . . . off. There was a small cot in the far corner with a dirty blanket on top and what looked to be children's toys on the floor. But what freaked her out the most was the tripod pointing a video camera at a section of the wall that was painted bright pink.

Before Clary could wrap her mind around what the hell she was looking at, she saw a flash of something behind the closet shutters. Her feet started moving on their accord, bringing her closer and closer to the inevitable. She kept a good grip on her gun with her right hand and with her left, she reached out to pull the shutters open, her gaze immediately going to the figure curled up in a ball as far back as the closet would allow.

She had not been expecting this.

"Jace?" she called out.

His reply was instantaneous. "Yeah?"

Clary turned back to the figure, already tucking her gun back into her holster.

"Call backup. Now."

.o.O.o.

After doing as Clary said, Jace was eager to find out what made her request such a thing. It didn't take long for backup to show, unlike times in the past. Ever since Luke became CEO of the Agency, there was always a group of Agents on standby whenever they were out in the field. As soon as they got there, Jace lowered his gun and headed up the stairs. Clary's tone when she called his name made his guard go straight up. It wasn't often that he heard her voice waver when they were on an active mission.

"Clary?" he yelled, not knowing which room she was in.

"I'm in here," came a voice from the last room on the right.

Jace's feet carried him to the room, his heart rate already rising as he attempted to guess what had his girlfriend so spooked. Once inside of the dimly lit room, which was only the size of their penthouse bathroom, he looked Clary up and down to make sure that she was okay.

"What is it?" he asked. "Did you find something?"

Her green eyes met his and then she moved out of the way, allowing him to see inside of the closet she'd been standing in front of. Now that he could see, he realized that it wasn't a matter of what she found, but who. Jace's jaw ticked at the sight of a little girl clutching her legs to her chest, body trembling with silent sobs and fear.

"Jesus." He took a step forward, but Clary lifted her hand to his chest, stopping him.

"Maybe we shouldn't . . ." she whispered, eyes downcast.

Jace kept his eyes on the girl, who was peeking up at them through her fuzzy blonde hair. "No, it's okay," he told her. "I think I got this."

Clary looked a little skeptical, but she dropped her hand nonetheless, allowing him to continue on. Taking another step forward, he tried to ignore the way the little girl flinched as he patted his pockets and pulled out his pack of fruit-flavored candy that he always took with him on missions. Then he crouched down, trying to make himself look less scary.

"Hi," Jace greeted.

Blue eyes glistening, she held his gaze for a few seconds before dropping it to his hand.

He took one of the candies out of the tiny box and held it up. "You want one?"

She nodded, quietly taking what he offered. Unwrapping it, she shoved the whole thing into her mouth then went back to hugging her legs. Her eyes scanned his face with hesitance, most likely feeling him out. "A–Are you gonna hurt me?"

Jace felt a pang in his chest at the question. "No, we're not going to hurt you," he said softly. "We're here to help."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Jace and that's my partner Clary." He tilted his head a little. "What's your name?"

"Olivia."

"Nice to meet you, Olivia." Jace made an attempt at smiling, even though his body was raging on the inside. He wanted nothing more than to pummel Philip Graham's face in for what he put this girl and many others before her through. A man like that deserved to rot in hell. But right now, he had to focus. "Would you like to come with us? We can take you somewhere safe."

"I'm scared," she whispered.

He nodded. "I know, and it's alright to be scared, but we're not going to let him hurt you anymore, okay?"

Olivia seemed to let his words soak in for a moment before answering. "Okay." Then, slowly, she lowered her legs and rose to her full height, which couldn't have been any more than three and a half feet. "But you have to pinky promise," she added.

Jace's lips twitched. "Alright." Lifting his hand, he allowed her to hook her pinky with his. "Can I ask how old you are, Olivia?"

"Five."

He shook his head in utter disbelief. "We're getting you out of here." Jace held out his hand, hoping that she would trust him enough to take it. She simply stared at him for a moment before she tentatively took a few steps forward, coming out of the closet and into the room. Then she surprised them both by sidestepping him and reaching out for Clary's hand. His girlfriend's wide eyes turned to him. He shrugged in response, not knowing what was running through the little one's head.

Jace began leading them out of the room, but a gasp from Olivia made him pause.

"Wait. My bunny." She pointed to a stuffed animal laying on top of the cot in the corner. Clary let go of her hand, letting her run over and get it. With a tight grip on the bunny, Olivia returned to Clary's side, slipping her hand back into hers.

Backup was still handling their target's friends when they reentered the living room, one of the men slapping a pair of cuffs on their target himself. Looking down at Olivia, he saw that she was clutching her stuffed bunny to her chest, blatant fear written all over her face as she stared over at her captor.

Not knowing what came over him, Jace stormed further into the room, lessening the distance between himself and the sick bastard. The surrounding Agents seemed to pick up on his unmistakable rage, but they were too late. Reeling his fist back, Jace landed one solid punch to Philip Graham's face. He heard the crunch of his nose being broken and smiled internally. Then he twisted his hand into the front of his shirt and jerked him forward.

"You'd better count yourself lucky that it isn't just me and you standing here, because that punch is only a fraction of the pain you deserve." Jace let go, shoving him back. "But it'll help me sleep at night knowing that you're going to rot in a cell for the rest of your life and will never get the chance to hurt a child ever again."

The bastard simply stared at him with blood gushing out of his nose, chin up in an attempt to seem poised, but Jace saw the fear in his eyes. He'd thought that he'd gotten away with it, and getting caught was eating away at him. It was karma at its finest.

Not sparing him another glance, Jace turned to the other Agents who had Graham's accomplices cuffed and ready. "Get them out of here and booked as soon as possible," he said. "If his friends check out they'll be good to go, but this one," he pointed to their target, "is the one that we want. Make sure you follow through with him, alright?"

They nodded. "We got it covered," replied one. As they led the men out of the house, someone from the backup team stayed behind to talk to him.

"What are we going to do about the kid?" the Agent asked.

Jace glanced back at his girlfriend. Olivia was standing behind her, trying her best to hide herself from the group of men moving in and out of the house like clockwork. He knew that she'd never go with one of them, especially seeing how tall and menacing some of them looked. Besides, she seemed to have taken a liking to him and Clary, and they'd take way better care of her than whatever temporary place backup would put her in.

"We'll keep her for the night," Jace answered. "I'd just get her prints so we can figure out if she has any family out there looking for her. I'm sure Intel can work that out by the morning."

"I'll send it straight over." The Agent held out his tablet. "Should I or . . ."

"I got it." Grabbing the tablet, Jace trailed back over to the girls. Unlike before, Olivia didn't flinch or shrink back when he neared, making him sigh with relief. Kneeling in front of her, Jace lifted the tablet, pointing to the outline of a hand on the screen. "Can you put your hand here?"

Olivia's eyes fell on the tablet, seemingly mesmerized by the bright screen, but she lifted her hand nonetheless, placing it inside of the outline. Jace held the tablet there as it scanned her prints, and when it dinged he thanked her and handed it back to the Agent.

"So, what's the plan?" Clary asked.

Jace kept his eyes on her as he responded. "Well, if it's alright with Olivia, we can take her in for the night and hopefully drive her home in the morning."

Something flashed behind her eyes at the mention of home. "So I can see my mommy and daddy?"

He hoped so. "We're gonna try our best to find them, but until then will you be okay with staying with us?"

Olivia looked between the two of them. "Can I bring Bunny?"

Clary nodded. "Yes you can."

"What about the monster?" she whispered, her eyes darting around as if bringing him up would suddenly make him appear. "He said if I ever tried to leave that I would be in trouble. I don't wanna make him angry."

Jace tried to control his breathing, his jaw clenching in restraint. "You don't have to worry about that anymore. He's going away for a long time."

"But what if he comes back?" she asked, her voice wavering as she spoke.

Releasing a breath, Jace lifted his hand, tilting her chin up so she'd meet his gaze. "He's not coming back, but even if he does, I'm not going to let him hurt you. I promise."

Olivia hugged her bunny closer to her chest, something he noticed she did whenever she seemed unsure or scared. "You'll protect me?"

He grinned. "Of course. For as long as you need me."

Face relaxing, Olivia let go of Clary's hand and stepped forward. And without a word, she looped her tiny arms around his neck and placed her head on his shoulder. Looking up at Clary, Jace saw a small smile on her face and couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking in that moment. Focusing on Olivia again, he realized that she didn't have anything on except a tattered pair of pajamas and immediately began shrugging off his jacket. Enveloping her in the fabric, Jace stood, taking her with him as he did.

Olivia buried her face into his neck and he used the hood of his jacket to cover her head, not wanting her to see the scene they were about to walk out into. Philip and his friends were shouting expletives as backup patted them down and proceeded to load them into one of the Agency's paddy wagons. As they passed, Clary and Jace made a show of flipping all of them off, because the more he thought about it, they had to have known Olivia was being held captive, but none of them did a thing to help her. Them turning a blind eye made them just as guilty in his book, but he'd let the Agency decide whether or not that was the case. The only thing on his radar right now was getting her as far away from them as possible.

As backup slammed the back doors shut and drove off, Jace followed Clary down the block to their parked car. When he opened the door, he attempted to put Olivia in the back seat, but as soon as he put her down and began pulling away, she whimpered and tightened her grip around his neck.

Seeing this, Clary reached up to touch his arm, stopping him. "Stay with her," she said. "I'll drive."

Nodding, Jace dug into his pocket and handed over the keys. "Thanks."

In response, Clary stood on the tips of her toes and planted a kiss to his cheek. Then she slipped into the driver's seat and started the car. Jace followed suit and took a seat in the back, adjusting Olivia so that she was sitting on his lap.

As Clary began driving off, Jace took his phone out of his back pocket and dialed Jordan.

He answered after three rings. "This better be either my girlfriend or Jesus Christ himself."

Jace rolled his eyes. "I need a favor."

"Is it mission related?"

"It is actually."

"Okay, I'm listening," he said, his voice still thick with sleep.

Jace glanced down at a now sleeping Olivia. "We're on our way back from a mission and I need you to go downstairs and open the door for us."

He groaned. "Don't you have a key?"

"I lost it earlier this week, remember? I'm still waiting for management to make me a new one," he said. "Clary and I would usually use the window to get back in, but we can't this time."

"Why? What happened?"

"Our mission was to bring down the head of a child trafficking ring, and while we were scoping the place out we found a little girl that he'd been holding captive for God knows how long." He clenched his jaw, trying to stay calm. "We've already sent her prints over to Intel so we can find out who her parents are, but she needs somewhere to stay tonight."

"She's with you guys right now?" Jordan asked.

"Yeah, she's sleeping." He heard a deep sigh from the other line.

"Fine, I'll do it, but you so owe me for this, dude. You know how sacred my beauty sleep is."

Jace bit back a grin. "I appreciate the sacrifice. We'll be there in a couple minutes."

"Got it."

When they hung up, Jace tucked his phone back into his pocket and relayed the message to Clary.

"Good thinking." She looked at him through the rearview mirror. "How's she holding up?"

"Alright, I guess." He looked back down at Olivia, watching as her chest rose and fell with even breaths.

"You were really good with her tonight," she said. "Absolutely amazing."

He quirked a brow. "You think so?"

Clary glanced back at him with a grin. "Just you wait, Herondale. You're so getting a reward for this."

Jace internally punched the air. "I like your rewards."

She snorted. "I bet you do."

Minutes later, they were parking across the street from the frat house and stepping back out into the night. Keeping hold of Olivia, Jace removed himself from the car and nudged the door closed with his foot. Then he walked over to Clary and took her hand in his, leading her across the street with Olivia still hiked up on his hip. The silence was a welcomed presence after all the chaos that ensued after they'd arrived at their target's location.

Jordan kept his word and opened the door for them once they made it up the driveway. Luckily none of their frat brothers were awake, because he wasn't sure if he'd be able to explain why he had a little girl in his arms and weapons on his person—at three a.m. nonetheless.

Jordan took one look at Olivia and his gaze hardened. "Please tell me you nailed this guy."

"Oh, we did more than that. Jace left him with a broken nose," Clary said, staring up at him as if he were some sort of warrior. He definitely liked the feeling it gave him.

Jordan seemed pleased by her answer. "Good. He deserved it." His mouth opened wide with a yawn. "Well, since you two seem to have this covered, I'll be heading back off to bed. Let me know if you need anything else."

Clary reached up to ruffle his hair. "Will do, bestie."

He saluted them both as he walked away. "Night."

Once he was gone, Clary turned back towards him, her attention switching to Olivia. Their voices must have roused her because she slowly lifted her head from the crook of his neck and asked, "Where are we?"

Jace met her tired blue eyes with his own. "Somewhere safe."

She dropped her head back onto his shoulder. "Okay."

Clary grabbed his hand. "Come on. Let's go to bed."

Nodding, Jace allowed her to lead them up the stairs and into his bedroom. Closing and locking the door, she reached out to remove the weapons they both had tucked away. Once she put aside the last of them, Jace wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close. Her eyes widened a fraction, but closed briefly as he dipped his head down and pressed a kiss to her temple. He'd seen the way she looked at Olivia—like she saw a part of herself in this frightened little girl. Even if she didn't want to admit it.

"She's going to be okay," he told her.

She nodded and released a breath. "I'm gonna go see if we have a spare toothbrush or something," she offered, brushing her hand over his chest.

"Sounds good. I'll get her a wash cloth so we can at least clean her face." Letting her go, he trailed into the bathroom, setting Olivia down on the counter. She stayed silent as he rummaged through the cabinet, her grip still tight on her bunny. Finding what he was looking for, Jace stood in front of the sink and ran some warm water over the rag before lifting it to her face. Her expression morphed into an adorable scrunch as he wiped probably days old dirt from her face.

"Is Clary your girlfriend?" she asked abruptly.

Jace dropped the cloth back into the sink and rang it out. "She sure is."

Olivia leaned toward him as if she were going to tell him a secret. "She's really pretty."

Jace grinned. "I think so, too."

"Are you gonna get married? Like a prince and a princess?"

Jesus, he'd forgotten how curious kids were at her age. "I hope so, one day." After he said it, Jace looked up to see Clary in the doorway of the bathroom, now wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants, a ghost of a smile on her face. He knew without a doubt that she'd heard every word. It was rare that she turned off her Agent hearing.

Noticing her presence, Olivia's gaze drifted to Clary and then to the toothbrush in her hand. "Is that for me?"

"Yup." She handed it over.

Olivia's eyes lit up. "That's my favorite color," she said, examining the yellow toothbrush.

Jace chuckled and reached out to pick her up, placing her on the floor so that she was facing the mirror. It was like something in her demeanor switched with them flanking her sides. Excitement lit up her face as Jace helped her out with putting the toothpaste on the toothbrush. As she brushed her teeth, Clary gathered her hair back and began putting it into two short braids, getting it out of her face and making Olivia smile at her reflection.

Jace felt a warmth in his chest as he watched the two of them. Something about this moment felt so domestic, and he couldn't help but wonder if they'd be doing this kind of thing with their own kid in the future. A guy could dream, right?

"All set?" Clary asked once Olivia was finished.

She nodded, already looking tired again.

Seeing that Clary was already dressed for bed, Jace stayed behind to get changed himself. It didn't take him long, but once he was finished, he tossed his clothes into the hamper and glided back into his room. His gaze immediately landed on Clary, who was now tucking Olivia into their bed.

Making his way over to her, he tucked one of his hands into the pocket of his pajama bottoms, the other rising to cup her cheek. "I'm gonna go crash on the couch for the night," he said, figuring that it'd make Olivia a lot more comfortable if it was just her and Clary in the room. "Will you be okay with keeping an eye on her?"

Before Clary could answer, Olivia sat up from her spot on the bed and rubbed her eyes. "You're leaving?" she asked.

Dropping his hand from Clary's cheek, Jace turned around and took a seat on the bed. "Just for the night. I'll be here when you wake up."

Olivia peered up at him. "But you can't leave. You have to stay here and protect me from the monster, remember?" Her eyes began to water. "You promised."

Eyes widening, Jace scooted closer and raised his hand, wiping the wetness from her face. "Hey, don't cry." He gave her a reassuring smile. "You're right. I did make a promise, so if you need me to stay, I'll stay."

She sniffed and nodded.

"Okay." After coaxing her to lie back down, Jace turned back to Clary and gave a short nod of his head, silently motioning for her to join him. With a sigh, she stepped forward and pulled back the sheets, sliding in behind Olivia. Jace followed suit and walked over to the other side of the bed, lying down on his side so that he was facing them both. Olivia, now sandwiched between them, scooted forward and buried her face into his chest, quietly drifting off to sleep.

Jace sort of laid there frozen for a moment, not really knowing what he was doing. He didn't have a lot of experience with kids, being an only child. His exposure to children pretty much started and ended with Isabelle and Alec's little brother Max.

But this girl, she was nothing like Max—or any kid for that matter. Her experience with being kidnapped and held captive made her fearful of the unknown, but by some fluke, she'd found a safe space within them, and Jace didn't want to let her down. He'd been so worried about Clary's reaction to Olivia that he didn't give himself time to form his own opinion. But focusing on it now, it made him so angry to think that anyone would ever want to hurt her, and he couldn't even begin to imagine what her parents were going through. Not knowing if they'd ever see her again had to be unbearable.

Clary must have noticed that something was up because before he could wrack his mind over it anymore, she raised her hand to his cheek. It was then that he felt the wetness on his face, but she was already wiping it away, her expressive green eyes soft with adoration.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't even realize that I was—"

She placed a finger over his lips. "You're allowed to cry, Jace. You don't have to justify displaying a normal human emotion."

He released a breath and reached out, pulling her in closer. "I'm just angry."

Clary moved her fingers into his hair, relaxing him even more. "I know you are. I can see it on your face that you care about her and I know it sounds crazy, but I think we both see a little bit of ourselves in her." Her gaze momentarily fell to Olivia. "The universe pretty much screwed all three of us over. But you know what? We bounced back and so will she."

He clenched his jaw. "I just feel like I should be doing something," he said. "Something to make it better."

"You are," Clary whispered. "Just by keeping your promise and staying you're making it easier. You're the one who got her out of that closet, you're the one who made sure she had a place to stay tonight, and you're the one who made her feel safe. I wasn't kidding when I said earlier that you were really good with her." Her gaze wandered from his. "It actually got me thinking . . ."

He grabbed her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. "Thinking about what?"

She nervously bit her lip. "About . . . maybe having kids of our own one day?"

Grinning, Jace lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to each of her knuckles. "Are you saying you wanna have my babies, Tiger?"

Clary crinkled her nose. "Well, when you put it that way . . ."

"I'm just messing around." Letting go of her hand, Jace reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear. Still grinning, he asked, "You really want that with me?"

She nodded, leaning into his touch. "Yeah, I do. After we've settled down for a few years, of course."

"Settled down, huh? I like the sound of that."

Clary smiled, her lips finding the center of his palm. "So do I."

At the sound of their voices, Olivia stirred slightly, her nose nudging his chest as she scooted closer to him.

Looking down at her, Jace asked Clary, "I know it's sort of weird, but do you think her parents will let us keep in touch?"

She reached out to smooth down one of Olivia's flyaway hairs. "I'm sure they won't have a problem with us checking in every now and then. I mean, we did kind of save their kid's life; it's the least they could do."

He let out a soft chuckle. "You make a good point."

"Well, I am the brains of this duo."

"So does that make me the brawn?"

Clary smirked. "Nope, I'm that too," she said, looking pleased with herself.

God, she was such a smartass. But he was still the luckiest guy on earth to have her.

Pinching her side, Jace suppressed her giggle with his lips and pressed his forehead to hers. "Go to sleep, Tiger. Sunrise is in four hours and we need to get her out of here before my brothers wake up."

"Fine." With a sigh, she shuffled closer so that her front was pressed to Olivia's back, her head resting just below his on his pillow. "But can you do that thing I like?"

Jace grinned and planted a kiss to her temple. "Of course." With that, he moved his hand to the small of her back where her tank top was bunched up around her waist and began tracing circles onto her skin. Starting with big circles, he slowly transitioned to smaller ones, watching as her eyelids got heavier and heavier until she finally closed them. He didn't know how it worked so well, but doing this somehow had the same effect as her running her fingers through his hair when he couldn't sleep. It was crazy, how well they knew each other, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

Before she allowed herself to drift off, Clary lifted her hand and placed it against the side of his face, her thumb smoothing over the slight stubble on his cheek. "Jace?"

He quirked a brow. "Yeah, baby?"

"I love you," she whispered.

Jace could hear the smile in her voice as she answered, which made him grin. "I love you, too."

"Me too?"

The small, sleepy voice startled them both, making them tense. Looking down, he saw that Olivia was looking up at them with tired, but expectant eyes.

Removing her hand from his face, Clary pulled away and ran her hand over the back of Olivia's head before planting a small kiss to her hair, clearly not able to hold back a smile. "Yes, we love you too, little one."

She blinked in response. "Really?" she asked, sounding hopeful.

Being hauled up in that place for weeks, maybe even months, God knew she needed to hear those words from someone. Of course, she'd probably hear them a thousand times over once she was reunited with her parents, but just so she'd have peace of mind, tonight those reassuring words would come from them.

Jace nodded. "You bet your bunny we do."

Smiling at them both, Olivia wrapped her hands tighter around her bunny. "Thank you," she whispered. Then she closed her eyes and returned her face to his chest, shifting the bottom half of her body so that she was also touching Clary. His girlfriend sent him a knowing grin right before she scooted forward and tucked her head under his chin again, right above Olivia's.

Keeping up the ministrations on her back, he listened as both of their breaths evened out, feeling a little too worked up to follow them. So as the girls slept, Jace reached back to grab his phone, setting an alarm for a half hour before sunrise. That should give them enough time to get up and get out of there before anyone saw, especially given that it was the middle of the week and everyone had classes.

Just as Jace was about to place his phone back on the nightstand, it vibrated with a new message. Clary's did also, but she was too far gone to acknowledge it. Reading the message in full, he realized that it was from Intel and let out a relieved breath once he saw that they'd found her parents. By the looks of it, they'd been looking for her for over three and a half months, ever since she was taken from a park in northern Brooklyn. There were just pages and pages of police reports, missing persons posters, and photos shared on social media asking if anyone has seen her. Seeing that everything checked out, and knowing that there were in fact people out there looking for her gave him peace of mind for the first time that night.

Putting his phone away, Jace returned his hand to the small of Clary's back and closed his eyes, feeling exhausted now that his anxiety was gone. But as he attempted to sleep, his mind replayed the words Clary said just moments before she drifted off.

She wanted a family.

With him.

The subject has come up before, but back then it had always seemed like a fantasy or a dream. Hearing her say the words tonight though, after they'd gotten a glimpse of what it would be like to take care of an actual kid, had him convinced that this was less of a fantasy and more of a reality. He'd never really pictured himself having kids before he met Clary—hell, he'd never even pictured himself in a long term relationship before her.

When he really thought about it, he couldn't deny that he wanted everything with that bad-mouthed, beautiful redhead. Jace wanted to give her the world and then some. He could see it now: him, her, a few kids, a nice house, maybe a pet or two. Nothing sounded more perfect than that. But this was all for another time, years down the line.

Right now he just had Clary to worry about, and after tonight, Olivia too. He wasn't sure why, but he just felt a sense of responsibility for her now. Even when she went back home and returned to her normal life, she'd still need someone to talk to, someone to understand her fears, someone to protect her. And Jace knew right then and there that if no one else stepped up, that someone would be him.

He'd keep his promise, for however long she needed him—and if she didn't need him at all, he'd be content just knowing that she was safe.

Taking one last look at the girls, Jace smiled at the possibilities for the future and instinctively wrapped his arm tighter around Clary's waist, kissing her hair before nuzzling into her.

And with the sound of their even breaths filling the room, he finally relented and allowed sleep to claim him.

* * *

 **What did you think?**

 **Love it? Hate it?**

 **Let me know!**

 **A/N: I hope that was a lovely little insight to the characters you know and love. Also, if you are wondering, the next outtake will include the twins. Hope you guys are ready :) Anyway, I've finished this just in time to watch Skam, so have a nice day lovelies.**


	2. Father's Day

**Hello, my lovelies. Hope you're having an amazing day. Sorry for the delay in updating, but I've been studying for finals and finally took them last week. So, that is it for my Senior year of high school and I am so excited for summer. Also, I cannot wait to give you guys some new content, because you totally deserve it. Anyways, enough about me. Get reading!**

 **Disclaimer: All TMI characters belong to Cassandra Clare :)**

 **For reference: This outtake takes places about ten years after the first one. Jace and Clary are both 29 and the twins are 5.**

* * *

 _Chapter Songs:_

 _**Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon by Urge Overkill / Revolution by Diplo (Scene 1)_

 _**Song Like You by Bea Miller (Scene 2)_

 _**Higher (FKYA Remix) by The Naked and Famous (Scene 3)_

 _**So Close to Magic by Aquilo (Scene 4)_

* * *

Life was good.

Clary couldn't help but think this as she padded down the hallway of her loft, quietly making her way to the kitchen to get an early start to her day. Jace and the twins were still asleep and the house was eerily quiet, but that didn't lessen the fact that Clary felt like she was on cloud nine.

JJ and Valerie were finally out of school for summer break, so she got to see their smiling faces for more hours of the day. The art studio she bought a year ago was doing better than ever. She was having so much fun selling her paintings and giving lessons to aspiring artists. And to make things even better, Jace recently got a job teaching combat at the Agency, which he seemed to be loving every minute of.

 _This_ was the future they'd hoped for—the future they felt they deserved after everything that happened to them.

With a little pep in her step, Clary entered the kitchen and immediately turned on the coffee maker, grabbing two mugs from the cabinet above her head. Without pause, she reached out to press shuffle on the iPod dock that was sitting on the counter and seconds later the opening guitar strums of her favorite Urge Overkill song filled the kitchen. The volume was low enough so that she didn't have to worry about waking anyone up.

As the coffee brewed, Clary hummed along and danced freely around the open space, looking out at the bright, summer sky through the floor to ceiling windows. She was barefoot and dressed in one of Jace's fancy button down shirts, a few of the top buttons undone. Wearing his clothes had long ago become second nature to her. There was just something about the security and comfort it brought her, and lucky for her, he didn't mind one bit and actually encouraged the idea.

The coffee maker beeped as the coffee finished brewing, drawing her attention back to the task at hand. There was no need to stop and think about what she had to do next. Her body was on autopilot as she prepared Jace's coffee just the way he liked—two creams and one sugar. Hers on the other hand only required two sugars, nothing more.

After turning off the music, Clary grabbed both mugs filled with piping hot coffee, trailing back across the room and into the long hallway that led to their bedrooms. But as she passed the twins' cracked door, she couldn't stop herself from taking a peek inside, seeing that they were both sound asleep on their bunk beds. The small speaker in the corner played soothing sounds of the ocean, their fish tank competing with the rising sun to illuminate the room.

A pleased smile tugged at her lips as she watched them sleep for a minute before tearing herself away to continue her path toward her own bedroom. That pleased smile soon turned into an amused grin as she spotted her husband sprawled out on their bed, his body now taking up most of the mattress. Downing most of her coffee right there, she nudged the door closed behind her and made her way over to him. He was lying on his back, one arm draped over his eyes, the other simply by his side. The sheets had fallen down to his waist, exposing his perfectly chiseled golden torso.

Clary bit her lip at the sight and immediately climbed onto the bed to join him, careful not to spill any of the scalding hot liquid on anything. A deep sigh left him once she moved to straddle his hips, but he didn't wake. Keeping hold of the mugs, Clary leaned down and began peppering kisses on his chest, slowly moving her way up his neck and across his stubbled jaw. If he wasn't awake before, he sure as hell was now. Not even a second later, she felt his hand on her hip as her mouth neared his ear, where she whispered, "Good morning, husband."

When she pulled away, Jace slowly removed his arm from his face and gazed up at her as his eyes adjusted to the light, his other hand dropping to her thigh as he traced small circles into her skin. "Am I dreaming?"

Clary grinned. It must have looked that way, with her in his shirt and her natural curls on full display, the sunlight acting as an outline for her body. "That depends," she said, scooting back a little to settle over his morning excitement. "Would you be able to feel that in a dream?"

The look he gave her in response set her insides on fire. "No, I guess not."

Returning to her original position, Clary handed his coffee mug over to him. "Your morning coffee."

Sitting up on his elbows, Jace gladly accepted it and took a few sips. Then he put both of their mugs aside and returned his gaze to hers, his expression full of mischief. "What about my morning kiss?"

Clary placed a hand on his chest, her fingers gliding over to his shoulder to trace his tattoo. He watched her closely, clearly liking the attention she was giving him. "You're gonna have to come up here and get it."

Jace bit back a grin and in the blink of an eye, he sat up fully off of the mattress and grasped her hips with the kind of swift confidence she'd become accustomed to. His lips brushed teasingly against hers for a few agonizing moments until she was practically begging him to close the distance between them. And when he did, she couldn't stop the moan that escaped her as she threaded her fingers into his hair and moved her mouth with his.

The kiss didn't last for long, but the intensity behind it left her more than satisfied when it was over.

"Good morning, wife," he murmured against her lips. Pulling back, he looked between her eyes, one of his hands rising to tuck her hair behind her ear. "God, you're so damn beautiful." His gaze dropped to his hands on her hips as he took a moment to admire her in his shirt. "How in the hell did I get so lucky to wake up to this _every_ day?"

Clary blushed at the sheer wonder in his voice. You'd think after twelve years of being together and having two kids that she wouldn't be as affected by his charms, but damn it if she didn't still blush like crazy when he gave her compliments or made unapologetic declarations like that.

"How do you do it?" she whispered, lifting her hand to cup his cheek, her thumb running over his bottom lip.

Jace nibbled lightly on her finger. "How do I do what?"

Sighing, Clary leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her husband's neck. "Manage to make me feel like this after all these years."

He smirked. "It's all in the technique, Tiger." When she raised a brow, he continued. "There's just too many couples out there that stop putting in effort after they've settled down. They think they've already won the person over, so they stop with the compliments, the surprises, the gifts, the affection, not even knowing that this is the reason they're growing further and further apart."

"But I'm guessing you don't think that's the case with us?"

"No. Definitely not." His arms encircled her waist. "Even though you've already tied me down, I like to make it seem as if I'm still trying to win you over. So, I flirt, I make you laugh, I dish out tons of compliments that I know will make you feel good to assure you that I'm still very much in love with you and will be for the rest of my life." He leaned in to kiss the tip of her nose, shrugging. "It also helps that the sex is incredible."

Clary tilted her head, her fingers trailing over his chest and down his abdomen. "Incredible, huh?" His gaze dropped to her hand and she heard his breath catch as her fingers brushed over the band of his boxers. "Well, statistically speaking, days started with incredible sex are significantly better than ones started without."

Jace let out a breathy laugh. "No shit." He groaned once she leaned in and began kissing his neck. "But what about the kids? Have you checked on them yet?"

She nodded. "They're both tuckered out from watching those Disney movies all night. God, it must have been three or four movies in a row. I think I even fell asleep before they did."

"You did," he told her. "I had to carry all three of you to bed last night." His hands slid under her shirt to grasp her bare hips. "How much time do you think we have?"

Clary continued to kiss her way down the side of his neck. "At least an hour, maybe even two."

"And where exactly do you suppose we do this?" he asked. "Because, baby, as much as I love it, you're not exactly the quietest one in bed."

She couldn't even attempt to deny that. "I don't care," she said. "I just need you. Now."

His eyes traveled across the room to their en-suite. "Shower?"

"Sure," she breathed. Then she grabbed his face and crashed her lips to his. She usually wasn't so forward, but they rarely got moments like these, and she wasn't going to let this window of opportunity close on them. Don't get her wrong, their sex life was amazing compared to most married couples with children, but with the twins home for the summer, there was no way of telling when they'd get another chance to be this intimate.

Jace seemed to realize this also, his hands immediately falling to cup her ass as he stood from the bed and began walking towards the bathroom.

Clary temporarily broke the kiss. "Wait," she said breathlessly. "Grab the baby monitor. I still want to be able to hear them just in case."

"You do know that those things are meant for actual babies and not five-year-olds, right?"

"Yes, I'm aware of that." She threaded her hands into his hair. "Now just grab the damn thing and make love to me already, asshole."

Jace chuckled and did as she said, slipping the monitor into his sweatpants pocket. "Yes, ma'am."

Clary couldn't stop herself from giggling as he leaned back into her and peppered sweet kisses all over her face. Once in the bathroom, he shut the door behind them and placed her on the edge of the sink as he went to go turn on the shower. After that, he put the baby monitor behind her and began unbuttoning her shirt as their lips came crashing back together.

When he began kissing her neck, she looked down at his hurried movements and smiled. "You're insatiable."

He removed her shirt and tossed it on the floor. "When it comes to you? Always." Stepping out of his sweatpants, he ran a hand through his hair, his eyes sweeping over her body. "So, are you ready to have your mind blown?"

"No, but I'm ready to have sex with you," she said, smiling up at him.

Jace playfully narrowed his eyes. "You're gonna regret those words, Tiger."

Clary wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her head. "Oh, are you gonna make me?"

"Yeah, I am."

Then, without warning, he tugged her off of the sink in one quick motion, causing her to squeal in surprise. And when he brought them under the spray of hot water, all humor left her body as his smoldering gaze met hers. Her lips parted subconsciously and Jace gladly took that opportunity to close the gap between their mouths, pinning her to the shower wall with his hard chest. At that moment, Clary wasn't sure if it could get any better, but then he removed the last articles of clothing covering their bodies and she could've sworn that she was seeing stars. It wasn't long before she was gasping and moaning into his shoulder as he pulled her closer and closer to the edge with his skilled movements.

When she finally fell apart against him and pulled back to look into his eyes, she beamed at the serene look on his face, nuzzling into the crook of his neck as he held her to him.

Yeah, life was good.

.o.O.o.

An hour passed before Jace and Clary emerged from their bedroom, now dressed and ready for the day. They were still full of energy and excitement, laughing and shushing each other as they made their way down the hall. Jace bit back a grin as his wife jumped onto his back and wrapped herself around him just as they reached JJ and Valerie's room.

Knocking on the door, he nudged it open, watching as both kids attempted to pull the covers over their heads. "Wake up, sleepy heads. Breakfast will be ready in thirty minutes."

Valerie peeked out from under her covers. "Can we have apple cinnamon pancakes?"

"Yes, but you better move quick before your mom eats them all," he sang, beginning to back away.

At the mention of pancakes, JJ shot up. "No! Save some pancakes for us, Mommy."

"Well," she said. "You're gonna have to get up and get dressed if you want to beat me to them."

JJ scrambled to remove the covers and leaned over his top bunk. "Come on. Get up, Val."

"I'm already up, you idiot," Valerie huffed. She was so small, but she already had her mother's fire.

Jace shook his head in amusement and continued toward the kitchen, keeping hold of Clary. "Don't forget to feed your fish," he called back to them.

Once they reached the kitchen space, Clary kissed his cheek and jumped off of his back. But once he moved to get started on breakfast, she placed her hands on his chest and smiled. "You just hang back and relax. I'll make breakfast."

Jace furrowed his brows in confusion. First coffee in bed, then the amazing sex, and now breakfast? He always made breakfast on weekends and she knew that.

Hanging back as she said, he watched her work easily around the kitchen, a little more cheeriness in her demeanor than normal. Something just wasn't adding up.

"Okay, what's going on here?"

Clary kept her back to him, but somehow he could just tell that she was scrunching her nose. "What do you mean? Can't a woman cook for her husband and children without getting interrogated?"

Jace leaned against the marble island in between them. "You haven't stopped smiling and giving me that look since I woke up."

She laughed and turned to face him, simultaneously mixing a bowl of pancake batter. "Oh, and do tell, Mr. Herondale. What look was I supposedly giving you? Because I don't seem to recall anything out of the ordinary."

Bringing his face even closer to hers, he smirked and playfully tugged on a lock of her hair. "Nice try, baby, but I know your facial expressions like the back of my hand. I can see it in your eyes, you're hiding something."

Clary let out a sigh, temporarily stopping her ministrations. "So, I'm guessing that you don't know what today is?"

Jace stared at her for a moment, pondering her question. He knew for a fact that it wasn't one of their anniversaries; he never forgot one of those. But he had been pretty busy with work for the past few weeks, so maybe he was forgetting something and just didn't know it. "No, I don't, and I'm sorry if it's something that I was supposed to remember. I've just been swamped with work and—"

Pressing a finger to his lips to silence him, Clary giggled and shook her head. "You're digging yourself into an unnecessary hole. Just check the calendar, genius."

His gaze slid to the bulletin board next to the fridge and zeroed in on the calendar opened to the month of June. Gliding over to it, he scanned the dates, today's date popping out like a sore thumb. It was circled and decorated with stickers, which were clearly the twins' doing. But when his eyes scanned the big, bold letters inside of the square, he turned back to Clary with an amazed look on his face.

"It's Father's Day?"

She nodded. "Your sixth one to date."

"So you're doing all of this because it's Father's Day?" he asked, everything finally starting to make sense.

"Well that, and because I love you," she said, kissing him sweetly before returning to her preparations.

Jace returned to his original spot behind the island and ran a hand through his hair. "Damn, this is so surreal. I used to avoid this day like the plague when I was a kid, so I guess it'll take a little time to convince myself that this day is about us and not . . ." He trailed off, but she got the gist.

"A narcissistic jackass, who luckily turned his life around before it was too late?"

He pressed his lips into a tight line. "Exactly."

Tucking her hair behind her ear, Clary cleared her throat, most likely noticing his discomfort. So she quickly changed the subject. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you Olivia called yesterday. She wanted to know if we could make it to her middle school graduation next weekend."

Jace's chest warmed with the mention of Olivia. The three of them were still in constant contact and she seemed to be doing a lot better these days. Although, at least once or twice a year, she'd call in the middle of the night after having a nightmare because she still saw them as her protectors. And if he were being completely honest, he'd still do anything for that girl.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

She pointed at him with the spatula in her hand. "And that is exactly what I told her." Right after she said it, they heard a squeal from the living room and multiple pairs of footsteps quickly nearing the kitchen. "Here comes trouble," she said, humor lacing her voice.

Grinning, Jace turned around just in time to see Valerie running into the room, her brother hot on her trails with a scary mask on his face. She was screaming and not paying much attention to where she was going, making Jace bend down and scoop her off the floor before she ran straight into the wall. Hiking her up onto his hip, he watched as she clutched his shirt and hid her face in his shoulder. Then he looked down at his giggling son and lifted him onto the island in front of him, proceeding to take off his mask.

"Little man, what did I tell you about chasing your sister around with your monster mask?"

JJ scratched the top of his head. "Do it at night because it's scarier."

Jace cut a glance at his wife just in time to see her glare. "Asshole," she muttered, making him grin. Somehow that word had become a term of endearment.

He waved a hand. "Kids. They say the darnedest things, don't they?"

"Mmhmm." She shook her head, turning back to the stove.

Chuckling, Jace sat Valerie down next to her brother and reached down to adjust her black overalls and white shirt, which she clearly put on in a rush. But they both seemed to be having fun so far this morning, so all he could do was try to keep that energy alive.

"How about we play a guessing game while we wait for breakfast?" he asked. When they both nodded vigorously with excitement, he ran through a few things in his head and moved to rest his arms on either side of them.

"Okay, this weapon is a special kind of knife that originates in the Philippines and is currently banned in most countries. It also happens to be your mother's favorite, which she takes with her on every mission."

"Easy. The balisong," Valerie answered.

JJ tugged on his arm. "Give us a harder one."

"Alright, let's see." He paused for a moment to come up with something else. "I'm not going to tell you what kind of weapon it is, but they were used by samurais in ancient Japan. The best ones are made with authentic Japanese steel and it might also be the greatest edged weapon in the world. And if that doesn't do it, it was used by the Lone Wolf in your favorite movie, Shogun Assassin." That last part seemed to make it click in their heads.

"The katana!" they both shouted in unison.

"Another one," JJ said.

"Okay, okay." He tried to think of something harder, but damn they were good at this. "I got one." He focused on them again. "This weapon was first introduced during the Vietnam war and originates right here in the United States."

"So it's a gun," Valerie stated matter-of-factly.

Jace chuckled. "You got me there. But it's not just any gun. The original is about thirty-nine and half inches with a thirty-round magazine. It's gas-operating with a rotating bolt, and a 5.65 millimeter caliber—"

"M16 assault rifle," JJ answered swiftly.

Impressed, Jace lifted his hand and gave them both high fives. "Well done, you two. We'll do more before bed, but right now it looks like breakfast is ready."

JJ and Valerie first looked at each other before their gazes landed on the stack of apple cinnamon pancakes Clary was holding.

She arched a brow. "Who's hungry?"

Valerie raised her hand. "I am."

"Then let's move this party over to the breakfast table."

JJ ran a hand through his hair, looking hesitant. "Mommy?"

Clary paused to meet his emerald-gold eyes. "Yes, sweetheart?"

"Can we tell Daddy what his Father's Day surprise is now?"

"Of course. You want me to tell him?" He nodded and she reached out to tweak his nose. "Okay."

"A surprise?" Jace asked, a little more than curious. Surprises were usually his forte.

Clary rolled her eyes. "I know what you're thinking, but you're not the only one capable of conjuring up surprises."

He furrowed his brows. "What are you three up to?"

Placing the plate of pancakes on the counter, Clary sidled up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Well, the kids and I were thinking that since you've been so busy with work for the past few weeks, we could do something fun for your special day. So, I thought we'd take a trip to Central Park after breakfast and have a little picnic." When he visibly relaxed in her arms, her eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she continued to prompt him. "Just think about it: you, me, the twins, your guitar, a nice blanket to lie on, getting some much needed fresh air . . ."

Valerie looked up at him. "So what do you say, Daddy? Wanna spend the day with us?"

Jace chuckled and reached out to tuck her curly blonde hair behind her ear. "I couldn't think of anything better, baby girl."

The twins cheered, making them shake their heads in amusement. Unwrapping her arms from around him, Clary headed back to the other side of the island to grab the plate of pancakes again, looking pleased as she started a path toward the breakfast table.

"Let's eat."

.o.O.o.

Central Park had always been one of Jace's favorite places to go when he needed to take some time to unwind. He had vivid memories of his mother taking him there as a kid. They'd visit the Bethesda Fountain, the zoo, and the temporary amusement parks. But with all the exciting activities Central Park had to offer, his favorite had to be the Great Lawn. He didn't know what it was that made it so great—it was really nothing more than a patch of grass—but something about the atmosphere, and seeing families together and happy, made him optimistic for the future. He might not have been able to get that happy ending with his family back then, but he sure as hell got it now.

Part of him couldn't even believe that he had the life that he had now, but as he watched his son and daughter chase each other around on the grass, his wife sitting between his legs with his guitar in her lap, he couldn't help but grin at the fact that _this_ was his reality.

Snapping out of his dream-like state, Jace stopped Clary once again as she screwed up the cords to one of the simplest songs a beginner could execute.

"No, that was E." He reached up to readjust her fingers. "This is E minor."

She looked confused, which was rare, and extremely adorable. "What's the difference?"

"There's a big difference."

Clary huffed and leaned back into his chest. "Babe, this is the millionth time you've tried to teach me how to play this contraption, but it's no use. I'm not musically inclined like you."

"Yeah, you're shit, but it's fun to watch." Jace laughed as she shoved her elbow into his side, making him lift his hands in surrender. "Hey, I'm just saying, for a woman who can disassemble and reassemble a gun in under ten seconds, you sure are clueless when it comes to this stuff."

Moving her hand to the back of his neck, she tipped her head back to look up at him, amusement dancing around her green eyes. "And that is exactly why I prefer it when you play for me and not the other way around."

Falling victim to her smoldering gaze once again, Jace rested his forehead against hers and pressed a light kiss to her lips. "You want me to play you something right now?"

Clary smiled. "Later," she whispered. "You look like you're in the mood to play something deep and I don't think either of us will be prepared for what I'll want to do to you afterward."

She wasn't wrong. His music had quite the effect on her. "You make a good point." He kissed her once again before pulling away. "I'll play something later. Something to repay you for the surprise you and the kids planned for me today."

Clary shook her head and placed the guitar aside, her eyes falling on the twins, who were now only a few feet away blowing bubbles into the summer air. After making sure they were okay, she turned around to face him and gently cupped his cheeks in her small hands. "You don't have to repay me for anything. You're an amazing dad; you deserve it."

Jace let her words soak in. There were times after she got pregnant where he wondered whether or not he was equipped enough to handle being a father. It wasn't as if he had the perfect dad to model himself after, so he couldn't help but wonder if he'd somehow screw up too. But then, he'd heard the twins' heartbeats for the very first time during one of Clary's routine ultrasounds, and everything changed. All the worries and fears he had just dissipated into the void, and to this day they hadn't returned.

"You three are my world," he told her, looking deep into her eyes so she knew he meant it. "Nothing is ever going to change that."

She brushed her thumbs over his jaw. "I know, Jace. I know."

Their little moment was temporarily put on pause as the twins sidled up next to them, their identical eyes shining with sheer elation. Jace loved seeing them happy.

"We brought you guys something," Valerie said, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, her hands tucked into the pockets of her overalls.

Looking curious, Clary moved to sit next to him on the blanket. "What is it?"

Valerie nudged her brother, who had his hands behind his back, clearly concealing something. After being nudged, JJ moved his arms back in front of him and revealed what he had in his hand.

It was flowers—daisies to be exact. They must have nabbed a few of them on the walk there. Several of the petals were bent from their efforts to hide them, but it was really the thought that counted.

"For us?" Clary asked.

JJ shook his head. "They're for Dad to give to you, because flowers make you happy, and he says that your happiness is his happiness, so . . ." he nudged his shoulder and held the flowers out to him.

Gladly taking them, Jace reached up to ruffle his son's hair and turned to face his wife, who looked to be holding back a bout of laughter. But before he could say anything, Valerie slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Wait. One more thing." She leaned down to whisper something in his ear, but like most kids her age, she wasn't very good at the whispering part. "When you give Mommy the flowers, you have to pretend that we didn't go find them for you."

He gave her the A-Okay hand gesture, and with a nod, Valerie removed her hand from his mouth and took a step back. Seeing that the kids were watching, Jace decided to put on a little show just for them.

Holding the flowers out to her, he held a hand to his heart and said, "Clary, my love, will you do me the honor of accepting these flowers, which I found all on my own . . . without anyone's help?" He sent the twins a wink, causing them to giggle.

Biting back her own laughter, Clary reached out to take the daisies and brought them to her nose. "They're beautiful. Thank you."

"Are you happy, Mommy?" JJ asked.

Clary reached up to sweep a curl out of his eyes. "Very happy, sweetheart." Her eyes met Jace's and a mischievous grin appeared on her face. "But you know what will make me even happier?"

The twins both perked up. "What?"

She motioned for them to come closer. They eagerly complied, all of them practically the same height now that he and Clary were sitting down. Jace watched with narrowed eyes as she whispered something in both of their ears. When she finished, she reached down to remove one daisy from its stem and handed it over to Valerie. Then she said something else and pointed to him.

Valerie turned to him with that same mischievous grin, the daisy behind her back.

As she neared him, Jace raised a brow and leaned back a little. "Val, what are you doing?"

Her smile widened. "What do you mean, Daddy? I'm just coming to give you a hug." Once she reached him, she pretended to wrap her arms around his neck, but really she was sticking the daisy into his hair, right above his ear.

Jace, pretending to be annoyed, tipped his head back and let out a groan of indignation. But after seeing how proud Valerie seemed of herself for "fooling" him, he couldn't help but smile as he reached up to adjust the flower. "How do I look?"

Valerie clapped and bounced on the balls of her feet. "Pretty!"

"Mmhmm." Lifting his hands to her waist, he started moving his fingers in the same places that impaired her mother. Valerie began giggling uncontrollably as he tickled her, making him smile even wider. Wrapping his arms around his squealing daughter, Jace pulled her into his lap and slapped a big kiss to her cheek. "Just for that compliment, I'll let you pick the bedtime story for tonight."

"Can it be the story about you and Mommy traveling the world?"

He laughed. "Yes, but that'd take all day. At least narrow it down to a country or a city."

She seemed to ponder it for a moment, then she turned to her brother, who was now sitting in Clary's lap across from them. "I'll let JJ pick."

His son's eyes immediately lit up. "Paris!" he shouted.

When Valerie agreed, Jace grinned and kissed her hair. "Paris, it is."

"That's a good one," Clary said. "We had a lot of fun there."

"We sure did." His tone was innocent, but the waggling of his eyebrows said it all.

Eyes widening, Clary reached out to slap his shoulder. "Cut it out."

Jace ran a hand over his arm. "Hey, you can't hit a father on Father's Day."

She smirked. "Watch me."

JJ slapped his knee and laughed out loud. "You two are being preposterous."

Valerie joined in. "Yeah, you guys are being preposterous."

Clary raised a brow. "Let me guess, 'preposterous' is your word of the day?"

"Yup," JJ said, playing with one of her curls. "It was on today's word calendar."

"It means completely unreasonable or ridiculous," Valerie added. "I memorized it this morning."

"Alright, Einsteins. Let's hang back for a second." Reaching out, Jace took hold of his son and laid him down on the blanket, placing Valerie next to him. Then he laid down himself and motioned for Clary to follow.

"What are we doing?" JJ asked once they were all lying on their backs.

Tucking his hands behind his head, Jace responded, "Cloud watching."

Clary laughed. "Cloud watching?"

"Yeah, I saw it on TV once. You just lie back and try to find images in the clouds. It's supposed to be relaxing." He looked over at them. "Did you know clouds are just groups of tiny water droplets that we can see in the air? And even though they look as if they weigh nothing, they actually weigh over a million pounds?"

His wife covered her face with her hands. "Oh, my God. I married a geek."

Jace grinned. "No, Isabelle married a geek. You married a handsome genius."

"I think it's cool," JJ told him. Then he gasped and pointed to a cloud. "Hey, that looks like a duck."

Valerie pointed somewhere else. "And that looks like bunny ears."

"I see an apple," Cary said, joining in.

Jace motioned to a cloud a little further to the right. "That one kind of looks like a butt." Clary rolled her eyes and the twins snorted.

They went on like that for what felt like an hour. After a while, their guesses became absurd things like dragons, unicorns, spaceships, and AK-47s. Cloud watching somehow turned into them trying to outdo each other and laughing at the ridiculous things they were coming up with. He was sure they'd strayed completely from the point of the game, but he couldn't have been bothered to care. That was, until something changed in the clouds.

Clary seemed to notice the same thing as she sat up and sniffed the air. "I smell rain," she said.

Jace nodded. "Yeah and those gray clouds are getting closer." He checked his watch. "I'd give it about thirty minutes before this park turns into Seattle. Was it supposed to rain today?"

"There was no rain in the forecast when I checked this morning." Her face fell. "I'm sorry. I had no idea."

Sending her a reassuring smile, Jace scooted over to her and cupped her cheek. "Don't be sorry. There's nothing to apologize for."

"But this was supposed to be your special day," she said. "We were having such a good time, and now it's literally about to rain on your parade."

Jace shook his head. "Being here isn't what's making this day so special. The fact that I'm with you three already makes this the perfect day."

"Are you sure?" she whispered, sounding apprehensive.

"I'm sure." He grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together. "I have an idea. Let's just gather everything we have here and try to get home before the rain starts. Then we'll set it all back up in our living room and have an indoor picnic. How does that sound?"

She finally relaxed. "Perfect."

"Good." Leaning forward, Jace pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Let's go, Tiger. This day isn't over yet."

Grinning, Clary wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him for real this time, ignoring the twins' protests.

"Okay, asshole."

.o.O.o.

". . . and then Mommy and I said goodbye to Paris and hello to London, home of fish and chips, and some of the best swear words you'll ever hear in your life."

Clary watched from the doorway of JJ and Valerie's bedroom as Jace finished up the last of their bedtime story. They'd dragged him away immediately after dinner, leaving her to do the dishes and clean up. Jace had sent her an apologetic look, but she just smiled and waved it off like it was nothing—because it _was_ nothing.

Spotting her in the doorway, Jace nodded for her to come in. He was sitting on the chair that faced the bunk bed, the twins in their respective beds hanging on to his every word. Walking over to him, she allowed him to wrap his arm around her waist as she took a seat on the arm of the chair.

"Did Daddy really take you to a restaurant on the Eiffel Tower?" JJ asked her.

"He sure did." She ran her hand over Jace's. "It was very nice, and _very_ romantic."

"Can you guys _please_ tell us about London?" Valerie pleaded.

"Tomorrow night," she said. "It's getting late."

She yawned, only proving her point. "Promise?"

Removing herself from the arm of the chair, Clary bent down and tucked her daughter's hair behind her ear before kissing her cheek. "Cross my heart," she whispered.

"Hey, I want a goodnight kiss too," JJ said from his top bunk.

Smiling widely, Clary pulled back and stood on her tippy toes, pressing her lips to his button nose. "Goodnight, Jonathan." Then she leaned down and pinched Valerie's side. "Sweet dreams, Val."

After Jace kissed them goodnight and tucked them in, he grabbed her hand and began leading her out of the room. Before they crossed the threshold, Clary reached up to tear away the word of the day, revealing tomorrow's.

 _Ambiguous_.

They'd have fun with that one.

Once she and Jace reached their own bedroom, she turned to him and giggled once she saw that the daisy from earlier was still in his hair.

"Shit," he chuckled. "I completely forgot." Plucking it out, he tossed it on their dresser and ran a hand through his hair.

"What?" She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, placing her chin on his chest so she could look up at him. "I thought it was cute."

Jace playfully rolled his eyes, one of his hands rising to her locket. "Thank you for today," he said. "You three make me the happiest husband and father on earth. I couldn't imagine doing this with anyone else."

"You're such a sap, you know that?"

"I don't hear you complaining." Smirking, he grasped her hips and backed her up until they fell onto the bed, him hovering above her. "In fact, I don't recall you ever asking me to tone down the romance."

"That's because I don't want you to, and would be an idiot if I did." She lifted a hand to trace his tattoo. "Do you know how many married women I meet while working? They're mostly moms who want to buy my paintings to decorate their homes or bring their kids in for lessons, but you should hear the way they talk about their husbands. These men don't cook, they don't clean, they barely pay their wives any attention. And on the rare occasion that they do have sex, it's absolute shit."

"That's just not right," he said, as if the idea was inconceivable to him.

"So after hearing stories like that all day, it's nice to come home and have you wrap your arms around me and kiss me like I've been gone for weeks." Clary moved her face into the crook of his neck, taking in his calming scent. "I just want us to have that for as long as we can. That's why I never complain."

Jace ran his fingers through her hair. "You never have to worry about that, baby. We've been through way too much to let ourselves turn into that." Pulling back slightly, he cupped her cheeks and made her look at him. "I know what it feels like to lose you, and I've seen firsthand what a dying love and passion can do to a marriage. So if a few years down the line, you notice that I'm not putting one-hundred percent into this, just know that I've probably been abducted by aliens. That person isn't me anymore, and should be killed immediately."

Clary laughed and reached up to grab his wrists. "I'll remember that."

He leaned down to kiss her lips. "Now let's get ready for bed. I want to hold you."

A tingle went up her spine at his words, but she went along and did her normal nighttime routine with him. When they were finished, she turned to her husband with expectant eyes. Chuckling, Jace grabbed the hem of his shirt and lifted it over his head before putting it on her. Then he bent down to lift her into his arms and carried her off to bed, his arms never leaving her body as they settled in under the sheets.

She'd thought that the storm from earlier had already done its worst and moved on, but she'd been so wrapped up in Jace that she hadn't noticed that it picked right back up. If anything, it was worse than before.

"Damn, that storm really doesn't want to go away, does it?" Jace said from behind her. They were both facing the window, watching the rain pour and lightening strike. With the added claps of thunder, it was impossible to ignore.

Turning in his arms to face him, Clary leaned her forehead against his. "You know what that means, right?"

He released a sigh. "Yeah, I do." And as if right on cue, a soft knock came to their cracked door.

"Come in," Clary said as Jace rolled onto his back to turn on their bedside lamp.

A moment later, the twins stepped through the door, Valerie holding her stuffed tiger to her chest, JJ rubbing his eyes. They both looked just as restless as she felt, and she knew there was no way they were going back to their room tonight.

"Can't sleep?" she asked.

Valerie answered first. "JJ is scared of the storm," she said quickly.

"I am not." His cheeks turned pink. "Valerie is the one who's scared."

Jace sat up. "It's okay for both of you to be scared."

Clary nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I used to be really scared of storms. Would it help if you stayed with us tonight?"

Valerie fumbled a little with her tiger. "Can we?"

Amused, Clary moved to the edge of the bed and opened her arms. "Of course, silly. Come here."

Visibly relaxing, Valerie quickly made her way over to them and climbed onto the bed, fitting herself in Clary's arms. JJ was close behind her, allowing Jace to lift him onto the bed also. The storm raged on outside their window as the twins joined them under the covers.

Seeing that Jace was still on his back, she and the kids naturally gravitated towards him and laid their heads on his chest and shoulders—JJ on one side, Clary and Valerie on the other.

"Oh, come on. Why me?" Jace whined.

Valerie giggled. "You're warm."

"And you'll protect us from the storm." JJ stared up at him like he was his hero. "Right, Daddy?"

Jace's eyes softened when he met their son's gaze. "Always, little man."

Grinning, JJ snuggled into him and squeezed his eyes shut. Valerie had already started to drift off, her back pressed to Clary's front as she dozed on her father's chest.

Cutting off the lamp, Jace wrapped his arms around the three of them and shifted a little on his back, pulling them closer to his warm frame. Moments like these just proved that he was destined to be a father. He was protective as hell and his aura screamed safety and comfort. It had always amazed her how he was capable of killing a man with his bare hands, but also used those same hands to braid their daughter's hair, play his guitar, tickle the twins until they were crying with laughter, and cup her face as if she were made of glass.

He was still a cocky, sarcastic asshole in the presence of most people, including her, but whenever any of them walked into a room, his eyes lit up and his demeanor immediately changed. He joked often that she and the twins were turning him into a big fucking softie, but she could tell by the way he said it that he was proud of the man he was now. He'd come such a long way and she was so lucky that it was her he chose to spend the rest of his life with.

Without thinking, Clary stretched out her arm and placed it on her husband's abdomen, placing a small kiss to his shoulder. A grin spread across his face as his grip on her waist tightened and he leaned down to press his lips to her forehead. Then he sighed, looking completely content.

"Can't we just stay here forever?" he whispered.

Clary smiled. "I wish we could, but you have work tomorrow afternoon, remember? And I know you love that job way too much to miss it."

Jace began tracing circles into her lower back, making her eyelids feel even heavier. _Damn_ _him_. "You're right, I do love it." His gaze met hers in the dark, his golden orbs shining in the moonlight. "I love you."

Barely able to stay awake because of what he was doing to her, Clary murmured a barely intelligible response, but she was sure he could decipher it as, "I love you, too."

Jace didn't say anything else after that, he just kept up the ministrations on her back, making her fall further and further into oblivion. The storm was completely forgotten about as she drifted off in her husband's embrace to the sound of the twins' synchronized snores. It'd been a long day, but knowing that they all got to end it together was more than enough for her.

Right before losing consciousness, Clary felt a rush of contentment, knowing that tomorrow she'd get to do it all over again.

* * *

 **What did you think?**

 **Love it? Hate it?**

 **Let me know!**

 **A/N: So, I hope the chapter was worth the wait. It was definitely a joy to write. This outtake has been in my head for months and I'm just glad that I was able to get it on paper (or screen?). I also thought I should mention that there are only about two more outtakes that I will be writing, because I really want to get started on my new story. The next one will be in JJ's point of view as a teenager (someone has a crush), and the one after that is tbd. I will definitely take suggestions if you have them :)**


	3. A Leap of Faith

**Hello, my lovelies. Hope you're having a fantastic day. Also, happy summer! I cannot believe that I'm finally finished with high school. It all just seems like a bad dream now, and I absolutely can't wait for my trip to the Bahamas in a couple months. Anyway, enough about me. Here's a sweet little chapter in JJ's POV. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: All TMI characters belong to Cassandra Clare :)**

 **For reference: This outtake takes place a couple years after the epilogue of Protecting Jace. JJ and Valerie are seventeen and living in separate rooms on the second floor of the loft.**

* * *

 _Chapter Songs:_

 _**All Time Low by Jon Bellion (Scene 1)_

 _**Walking The Wire by Imagine Dragons (Scene 2)_

 _**Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran (Scene 3)_

* * *

JJ's eyes narrowed in concentration as he applied yet another stroke of paint to the canvas in front of him. It'd been a week since he started the painting, but he was so close to finishing it that he couldn't hold back the excitement coursing through him. He was more than halfway through his junior year, which meant colleges were beginning to sniff out new talent and he was trying his best to be on their radar. Some of the best art programs were in New York, so if he wanted to turn his hobby into a career, this was the best place to be.

It also didn't hurt that he was pretty damn good at what he did, already having sold a few successful pieces for more money someone his age could even think about. But it wasn't about the money—he hadn't spent a dime of any of it—it was about passion. Other than working out with his parents and sister, nothing got his heart rate up more than when he set a blank canvas on an easel and filled it up with the images in his head.

Okay, he lied. One more thing got his heart rate up, and that something was no other than Sofia Fuentes.

That girl owned him in more ways than one, but the worst part was, she didn't even know it. He'd had crushes before—plenty of them—but no one had ever made him feel like this. All it took was one clumsy first encounter and he was done for.

The first day they met was at his mother's studio. He volunteered there every summer since he was thirteen. It was honestly just an excuse to hang out with other artists and experience what it might be like to work there full time in the future, but this past summer changed everything.

His mother had been on him one afternoon about getting more artist palettes from the supply closet, but he'd been too wrapped up in helping a little boy with his painting that he kept putting it off. But unbeknownst to him, his mother already had someone else taking care of it. So imagine his surprise when he opened the door to the supply closet and found a girl that he didn't recognize rifling through their supplies.

 _"What the hell are you doing?" JJ asked, letting the door shut with a loud clang behind him._

 _Mystery Girl jumped at the sound and dropped the contents in her arms, sending everything tumbling to the floor. "¡Dios mío! You scared the crap out of me."_

 _When she bent down to start picking things up, JJ joined her, his eyes still on the supplies as he asked, "You still didn't answer my question."_

 _"I could ask you the same thing."_

 _"I work here. My mom owns this place."_

 _Gathering the last of the supplies, she stood. "Oh, you must be Jonathan."_

 _"JJ," he corrected, standing also. "And you are—" his breath caught in his throat when they came face to face, his heart rate picking up as if he'd just ran a marathon. How in the hell did he manage to ignore looking at her until then? As he stood there, frozen, his eyes did a slow sweep of her face. Olive skin, high cheekbones, plump pink lips, curly brown hair that he knew would feel like silk between his fingers, and the most beautiful hazel eyes he'd ever seen framed with a pair of black-rim glasses. Her face was clear of any impurities, save for one freckle above the corner of her upper lip. And when she smiled, blushing as she did, he could've sworn that he stopped breathing._

 _Balancing the items in the crook of one of her arms, she held her hand out to him and spoke the words that undoubtedly put the final nail in the coffin._

 _"Hi, I'm Sofia. I'll be volunteering here for the summer."_

What she forgot to mention was not only would they be spending the summer together, but she'd also be starting her junior year at his school.

Getting to know her over the months was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. She was the exact opposite of the kind of girl he usually went for: incredibly intelligent, quirky, and kind—almost too kind. She sometimes let people walk all over her, but JJ was always there to put them in their place. He was extremely protective of the women he cared about, and as of last summer, she was one of them.

Now he had a serious dilemma. He'd fallen for her. _Hard_. Making her laugh, blush, and getting her so excited that she started rambling in Spanish was usually the highlight of his day. He just had no idea if she felt the things he felt.

JJ's worst fear was losing their friendship because his feelings were unrequited, but sometimes she did things that made him question her feelings toward him. Like when she stared at him for a few seconds too long when she thought he wasn't looking, or when she wiped paint off his face and her fingers lingered on his cheek, or when she reminded him how amazing and talented he was when he felt unsure of himself. She was like sunshine in human form—too good for this world. Too good for him.

With a sigh, JJ dropped his paintbrush onto his palette and stood. He needed to talk about this or his thoughts would eat him alive. Making his way across the room, he allowed his feet to carry him out into the hallway and to his twin sister's bedroom door. After knocking, he stood back and waited for her to answer.

"Come in," she said.

Letting himself into her room, JJ spotted his sister on her bed, textbooks and papers spread across the mattress, her attention focused on her laptop as she typed quickly. He shook his head in disbelief.

"Really, Val? You're doing homework on a Friday?"

Valerie sent him a grin. "Nice to see you, too, jerk off." Going back to typing, she asked, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Pacing in front of her bed, he ran a hand down the back of his neck, not knowing where to start. "You're a girl, right?"

Turning to him with a puzzled look, she glanced down at herself. "Uh . . . I think so."

With a roll of his eyes, JJ took a seat next to her on the bed and picked up one of her nearby throwing knives, twirling it around his fingers. "No—I mean—you're a girl, so you know the kind of things girls like. Right?"

"Yeah, I guess." Valerie glanced over at him, clearly noticing that he was deep in thought. "What's up with you? You're acting strange."

"Am I?"

"We're twins, in case you've forgotten. I know what to look for." Their identical eyes met and she tilted her head a little. "What's got you so riled up, jackpot?"

Knowing that he could never lie to her, he decided to spill the beans. "Sofia."

Valerie's eyes widened. " _Sofia_. Shy Latina, works at Mom's shop, sweetest human being on earth, Sofia?"

When he nodded, she squealed so loud that he had to drop the knife to cover his ears. "Jesus, Val. Keep it down, would you?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She cleared her throat and attempted to hold back her smile. "I just knew you two would make the perfect couple. When she's around, you just start glowing and you look out for her like she's a Herondale." She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked at him expectantly. "So, when did you ask her out?"

JJ ran his hands over his face. "That's the thing, Val. I haven't asked her out."

"But you want to?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I do. I really do and it scares me shitless how much I want her."

Closing her laptop, Valerie gave him her full attention. "So what's holding you back?"

"Sofia is a really good friend. What we have now has worked since last summer and I don't want to wreck that because of my feelings." JJ looked down at his hands. "Besides . . . I don't think she feels the same way."

"Seriously?" She shook her head like he was crazy for even thinking that. "Have you seen the way she looks at you? She just—she thinks you're out of her league."

"What?" He sat up straighter. "Where did you hear that?"

Valerie sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm friends with her, too, you know. We talk about things, and I've brought you up a few times, but whenever I hint that you two would be great together, she just shrugs it off. She says guys like you don't go for the quirky, shy girls. You go for the popular, pretty girls."

"I see how it could seem that way. I've always went for the easy choice, but maybe having to actually work for something is what I need."

"It's exactly what you need. You just need to convince her that it's what she needs too."

"How am I supposed to do that?" he asked her. "You're my twin; you know me better than anyone. Help me out."

Removing her head from his shoulder, Valerie sat up and turned fully toward him. "Do you remember that story about Mom and Dad's first kiss?"

"Of course. We grew up on those stories."

"Well, do you remember the way Dad described how he felt right before he did it? How he felt so conflicted at first, but decided to take that risk anyway. Because he'd rather risk everything than to leave things to chance. I think that's what you should do with Sofia. Take that leap of faith and trust that if it's meant to be, it will be."

He still wasn't sure. "What about our friendship? What happens when things don't work out the way I want them to, and we lose that?"

Valerie looked at him head on. "What would you rather happen? Suppress your feelings and risk her developing them for someone else or put on your big boy pants and tell her exactly how you feel?"

"Well, considering the thought of her with someone else makes my blood boil, I think I'll go with the latter," he said.

She patted his arm and smiled. "Good choice." Then she checked her watch. "Well, big boy, it's about time to put on your pants because Sofia and the girls will be here in less than an hour."

JJ shot off of the bed. "What?"

Valerie stared at him, a few of her strawberry blonde curls hanging in her face that she quickly swept away. "For my sleepover, remember? I've been planning it for the last two weeks."

"I know that." He started pacing again. "I just—I'm not ready to see her yet. I feel like my heart is about to beat out of my chest. I haven't even rehearsed what I'm going to say."

Laughing, Valerie removed herself from the mattress and placed her hands on his shoulders to stop him. "Declarations of love shouldn't be rehearsed. Just go back to your room and finish that painting that I know you're working on and _relax_. I promise, the words will just come to you. I may not know what being in love feels like, since Scott and I didn't really work out, but I swear I see it every single day with our parents. The way you look at Sofia totally mirrors the way Dad looks at Mom, and vice versa. Trust me, jigsaw, you have nothing to worry about." Then she stepped forward and gave him a supportive twin hug.

JJ squeezed her back. "Thanks, sis."

"I'll always have your back, you know that." Valerie gave him a little shove. "Now go, I have some things I still need to set up. I'll text you when the girls get here, okay?"

He nodded, feeling a little better than before. It was now or never. He just hoped this wouldn't ruin something he spent months trying to build.

"Okay."

.o.O.o.

 _They're here ;) I told Sofia you wanted to see her in your room. You can thank me later. ~V_

JJ stared down at the text, his heart beating a million miles a minute as he typed a response.

 _Or kill you later. I'm not ready, Val. ~J_

 _Well look alive, juggernaut, she's walking up the stairs as we speak. ~V_

 _Damn you. ~J_

Right after sending the text, JJ heard the twist of his doorknob and then he saw her. She was dressed in a pair of leggings and a cropped hoodie that showed a sliver of her small waist, her long brown hair tied up in a messy bun with a couple tendrils hanging by her ears. She'd forgone her glasses, which she did whenever she wasn't doing anything work or school related, but right now it just seemed like a tease at his expense.

"Hey, Valerie said you wanted to see me." Without hesitation, Sofia made her way over to his bed and laid down next to where he was sitting, the action causing her hoodie to ride up even more. It was no big deal for her to be in his room and on his bed, considering how many times she's done it in the past, but this time felt different. They weren't just two friends hanging out or working on homework. Now they were two people with the potential of becoming so much more.

"JJ?"

Snapping out of it, JJ turned to look down at her, not able to hold back his smile. "Hey, Fia. I—uh, I did want to see you, actually."

"Don't tell me. You need my awesome advice on your painting." Sofia's eyes slid to the canvas in front of him and narrowed thoughtfully on the waves crashing against jagged rocks. "Well, I think it looks amazing, as always."

"Thanks, but that's not why I wanted to see you," he said.

Sofia sat up fully, brows furrowed. "Okay. Qué pasa?"

Not knowing where to start, JJ just said the first thing on his mind. "Do you believe in fate?"

"Of course. My abuela always said certain things are predestined, that some things are just out of our control." She cocked her head to the side. "What are you getting at, JJ?"

"I've just been thinking," he said. "What were the odds of you moving here from Argentina to this exact neighborhood and choosing to volunteer at my mom's studio? What if we never met last summer? At school, we hang out with completely different crowds and we only have one class together, and yet we're best friends. Do you really think we'd be where we are now without that summer?"

Sofia looked down at her lap. "No. Like you said, we're from completely different crowds," she told him, her insecureness clear as day in her voice.

Not able to help himself, JJ reached out to grab her hand, stopping her from fumbling around with her fingers. "Hey, I didn't mean it like that, Fia." He took in a breath. "What I meant was, maybe it was fate that we met last summer, where we couldn't make assumptions due to social status. I wasn't 'the jock' or 'the class clown', I was just JJ, and you were just Sofia."

"But you do admit that we're different?" she said. "That if last summer never happened, you'd never even give me a second glance if we passed each other in the hall?"

"God, I'm doing this all wrong, aren't I?"

Sofia looked taken aback. "Doing what all wrong?"

"This," JJ said, motioning between them. "This conversation is making you feel bad about yourself, when in reality I'm just trying to tell you that I . . ." He drifted off, getting lost in the look in her eyes.

"That you what?" she whispered.

Valerie's voice filled his head, telling him again to put on his big boy pants and lay it all out on the line. Even if she rejected him, he'd be somewhat at peace knowing that he took that leap of faith.

Glancing down at their hands, JJ took in a deep breath before meeting her gaze again. "That I love you."

Sofia stared at him for a moment before she smiled. "JJ we've been best friends for almost a year. Do you really think I don't know that you love me?"

She still wasn't getting it. "No, Fia." Leaning forward, JJ lifted his hands and cupped her cheeks the same way his father did when he wanted his mother's undivided attention. He heard her breath catch at the intimate touch, but that didn't stop him. "I'm _in_ love with you."

Sofia's lips parted, clearly in shock. "You're . . . in love with me?"

JJ smiled nervously. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"A little," she said, diverting her gaze from his once again. "I just—I never knew you saw me that way. I thought I was just your geeky, latin best friend, you know?"

He shook his head. "You're so much more than that, Fia." Still cupping her cheeks, JJ ran one of his thumbs over the freckle above her lip. "You're beautiful, you make me laugh, and you have the biggest heart I've ever seen. If anyone should be feeling inadequate right now, it should be me."

"No, you shouldn't." She reached up to grab one of his wrists. "You're a better person than you think you are. You brought me out of my shell, you stick up for me like no one else, and you're one of the few people that can understand my erratic Spanish ramblings. You've made it entirely impossible not to fall for you."

JJ's chest filled with hope. "So I'm not crazy. You feel this too?"

Sofia laughed, her smile so big that it warmed his insides. "I've felt this way for a long time, JJ. I just didn't want to risk losing our friendship if you rejected me."

"I had the same fear, and so many more," he said. "But, luckily, we have nothing more to worry about." Or, at least he hoped they didn't.

She nodded, squashing any doubt he had left. "Exactly."

Something in the air switched in that moment. JJ became extremely aware of how close her body was to his. They were still sitting side by side, his hands cupping her cheeks as she held his wrist, but somehow they felt closer. It was as if an invisible barrier between them dropped and there was nothing left to separate them, nothing left to hold them back.

Like a beacon calling to him, JJ's gaze dropped to her parted lips. He'd dreamed of this moment for months, wondering how her lips would feel against his. "Sofia," he began, still stuck in a trance. "Can I . . ."

Her arms slid around his neck and she gently rested her forehead against his. "Yes, please."

JJ didn't need to be told twice. Tightening his grip on her cheeks, he slowly brought his mouth down to hers. The contact sent a rush of fire through his veins, and what started as a few tentative kisses turned into something explosive. JJ deepened the kiss, one of his arms moving to wrap around her waist, pulling her in closer. Her skin was soft and warm where they touched, and her mouth was one of the most incredible things he'd ever felt.

When their tongues met and he tasted her for the first time, JJ groaned and Sofia responded by nudging him onto his back. Their kiss never breaking, she moved to straddle his hips and in that moment he was convinced that he'd died and gone to heaven or that this was a dream that he'd wake up from any second now.

Sofia had always been so shy and tentative, but right now, she was like a woman on a mission. She kissed him without reservation, like she'd been wanting this for just as long as he had.

As much as he didn't want to, JJ pulled away after a moment to catch his breath. As they both practically gasped for air, he stared deep into her eyes and she stared right back, a misty look in her hazel ones.

" _Mierda_. That was . . ."

"Mind-blowing. Just as I imagined it would be and more," he finished for her.

She bit her lip and blushed. "Yes, that."

Removing his other hand from her face, JJ wrapped both arms around her, liking that he could do something so intimate and casual with her now. "I want to hear you say it."

"Say what?" she asked, toying with one of his blonde curls.

JJ playfully rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean, Fia."

Sofia let out a giggle and leaned down to kiss him again. "I love you," she murmured.

Humming in delight, JJ grasped her hips. "Now in Spanish this time, because you know how much I love it."

Amusement danced in her eyes. "Te amo, JJ. Estoy _enamorada_ de ti."

JJ smiled. "I've never been more grateful that my parents taught me Spanish than right now."

"I can't believe it took us almost a year to do that," she said, dropping her head to his shoulder. "It actually makes me feel kind of stupid for keeping my feelings from you for all this time."

"Don't feel that way," he told her. "We needed to build that friendship into what it is now. It's what's going to make us being together like this work."

Sofia lifted her head. "You're right. I guess that's why we feel so comfortable already." Her fingers glided over his cheek. "Because, right now, I feel like this is exactly where I'm supposed to be."

"Me too, Fia."

Staring down at him, Sofia frowned as she ran her hands through his hair. "I have to go. The girls are probably wondering what's taking me so long. Not to mention I've been looking forward to one of Valerie's iconic sleepovers for weeks now."

JJ smoothed her frown lines. "I get it. Go have fun with the girls. We've got all the time in the world."

"Thank you," she said. Then she rose from the bed and grabbed his hand, leading him over to the door, but before she could turn the knob, he pressed her into it and kissed her.

When he pulled away this time, he had that same buzzing feeling as before. "Meet me tonight," he breathed.

"Seriously?"

JJ nodded. "A hundred percent."

Sofia met his gaze in challenge before her face broke out into a smile. "Okay. I'll come find you when the girls fall asleep."

With a smile of his own, JJ opened the door for her and watched as she backed out into the hallway. "I'll be waiting."

As she turned to leave, a look flashed in her eyes and she paused in her stride. And before he could prepare for it, she was right in front of him and cupping his cheeks, her lips meeting his in a kiss so passionate that he couldn't help but groan. Then she stepped away and continued down the hall as if nothing happened, a blush adorning her cheeks. "See you later," she called after him.

He watched her until she disappeared around the corner. Then he released the breath he was holding and closed the door, leaning his head against it.

Call him crazy, but JJ was pretty sure he'd found his soulmate.

.o.O.o.

It was later in the night when JJ finally heard a knock against his bedroom door. He wasn't expecting Sofia until at least midnight, but maybe the girls were getting an early start to the sleeping part of the sleepover. Or maybe Valerie tired them out with all of the activities she usually had planned for these things.

Either way, JJ immediately sprung into action, dropping his butterfly knife onto the bed as he rushed to open the door. The beaming smile he had on his face dropped a fraction once he cracked it open and saw his twin sister.

"Oh, it's you," he said.

Valerie snorted. "Sorry to disappoint." She took a look around, a smirk slipping onto her face. "Expecting someone else, jukebox?"

"Yes, I was actually."

"So, things with Sofia went well, huh?"

JJ blushed, unable to stop himself. "Maybe . . ."

"Oh, please. The minute she came downstairs I knew you'd sealed the deal. You're both blushing and smiling like a couple of smitten little kids on a playground." She nudged him. "So what did you say to her?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "I just told her how I felt. Flat out. She was a little shocked at first, but then she told me that she felt the same way and we sort of . . . kissed."

"Oh, my God. Finally." Valerie laughed. "You two were driving me insane with all the obvious tension."

JJ narrowed his eyes on his twin. "Was there something you wanted, little sister?"

"Three minutes," she reminded him, mirroring the look on his face. "And, yes, there was something I wanted."

"Yeah?"

She tucked her hair behind her ear. "We were just about to watch a movie and a few of the girls wanted to know if you'd like to join."

"Which girls?"

"Mostly Jennifer, Emma, and a couple others." She rolled her eyes. "You know, the ones trying to get into your pants."

"I don't know . . ." JJ really wasn't in the mood to fend off a quarter of the sleepover party. Especially when there was only one he was interested in.

"It'll be fine. Cross my heart." Valerie smiled. "I'll even give you my spot next to Sofia on the couch."

"Okay, you got me. What's the movie?"

"Some scary movie one of the girls brought, but I don't really think that'll matter once you're all snuggled up with Sofia in the dark," she winked.

"Fine." Reaching back, JJ turned off the light to his room and shut the door behind him. With a pleased smile, Valerie led the way downstairs and into the living room where the girls were waiting for them, the movie already loaded up on the TV just waiting for someone to press play.

At the sight of him, a few of the girls sat up straighter. It wasn't surprising. Getting his father's rugged good looks was sometimes a blessing and a curse, but right about now, it felt a lot like the latter.

"Hey, JJ," Jennifer purred, twirling her hair around her finger. She was surprisingly made up for a sleepover. "Nice of you to join us."

Emma, sitting next to her, scooted a little to the left and patted the space between them. "We saved you a spot." She pursed her lips. "This movie is pretty scary and it'll be nice to have a man nearby to hold onto."

JJ's gaze subconsciously slid to Sofia, seeing that she was looking down at her hands, trying not to show her self-doubt. She looked so small all alone on that couch while the other girls vied for his attention.

Not wanting to see her like that for another second, JJ practically stormed over to the couch, ignoring everyone else around him until he made his way to her. Sofia's eyes widened and realization of what he was about to do dawned on her right before he leaned down and cupped her cheeks, kissing her softly on the lips. He heard a gasp or two from behind him, but he kept all his focus of her.

With a grin, JJ pulled away and casually took a seat next to Sofia on the couch, wrapping his arm around her waist. Then he looked down at the shocked looks on Jennifer and Emma's faces. "Nah. If you don't mind, I think I'll just sit with my girlfriend," he said.

Clearly embarrassed, Sofia hid her face in his neck, but he could feel her smile against his skin.

Valerie let out a laugh and a few of her actual friends followed in her footsteps. "Anyway, let's start the movie, shall we?" She plopped down onto the other end of the couch, her sock-covered feet somewhat resting on his legs.

Though before anyone could press play, the front door to the loft opened and JJ looked up to see his parents waltzing inside dressed in Agent attire, guns in hand.

His mother looked surprised to see them all there in the living room and turned to face his father. "I told you we should've used the fire escape."

"I figured they'd be sleeping by now." His father shrugged. "Temporary lapse of judgment on my part. My bad, baby."

Scoffing at her husband, Clary tucked her gun away. "Asshole," she muttered.

Jace grinned and tucked his own gun away before turning toward the group of teenagers. "Sorry to interrupt." Then he bent down and tossed his wife over his shoulder. "We're gonna go take a shower and leave you guys to it."

Before they reached the hall, Clary lifted her head. " _Showers_!" she screeched.

"Goodnight!" his father called over his shoulder, dragging his mother away with him as she giggled.

Valerie covered her face with her hands. "They're so embarrassing."

"Are you kidding?" one of the girls said. "Your parents are adorable, and totally badass."

"Yeah, and your dad's kind of hot," Jennifer added, her gaze falling on him, seemingly unfazed by Sofia snuggled into his side. "The men in this family are really something, huh?"

"Jennifer," Valerie began, a fake smile plastered on her face. "I'm gonna have to kindly ask you to shut the fuck up. Kay?"

The other girl's mouth opened and closed a few times before she squeaked out an unintelligible answer and turned her back to them, facing the TV.

Valerie clapped her hands together. "Great. Let's try this again."

JJ interrupted before she could finish. "Actually, Sofia and I are gonna go hang out on the balcony, but you girls enjoy the movie." He tossed some pillows onto the floor. "Here's something to hold onto if you get scared." Then he stood and grabbed one of the blankets draped over the back of the couch, holding his hand out for her to take. "Coming babe?"

Blushing, Sofia took his hand and stood. "Uh, yeah." With one last smile in Valerie's direction, she followed him across the large living room toward the balcony doors. "Did you just call me babe?" she asked once they were out of earshot.

Sliding the doors open, JJ led her out into the cool night air and over to the swinging bench that took up most of the space. "Yeah, it was stupid, I know. I was just a little pissed off that they wouldn't stop hitting on me even after I made it clear that we were together. So I figured I'd give it one more shot and get it through their heads that you were mine." Taking a seat on the cushioned bench, he grinned at her still form and patted the space next to him.

Sofia cleared her throat and joined him, the bench swinging with her added weight, but she seemed lost in thought. "Yours. Right."

JJ eyed her suspiciously. "What? Too soon?"

She immediately shook her head. "No. I've dreamed of the day I'd be considered that." Looking out into the night, she sighed. "It just got me thinking about the guy I dated back in Argentina. It was like, no matter how much our relationship developed, he never used those kinds of words to describe me. He never called me his novia, never gave me cute little nicknames. So I guess you could say having a guy not be afraid to tell everyone exactly who I am to him is a little new for me."

"First of all, that guy was an idiot. Loco en la cabeza," he said, and she smiled at that. "Second of all, have you met my parents? Most of my childhood was me watching my dad practically put my mom up on a pedestal. Whether we were around other people or not, he never left what they were to question. Everyone knew that he was hers and she was his. That's how I want it to be with the one I'm with."

"Well, seeing how happy your parents make each other, I don't think that's such a bad idea." Wrapping her hands around his arm, Sofia rested her head on his shoulder. "But I'm not so sure about the whole 'babe' thing."

Spotting goosebumps on the skin not covered by her pajamas, JJ unfolded the blanket and draped it over both of them. "Okay, no babe." He reached up to twist a lock of her hair between his fingers. "What shall I call you, madame?"

She glanced up at him. "Call me Fia, just like you always have. No one else calls me that, and—I don't know—coming from you, it's always made me feel special. That name has a history." A small smile tugged at her lips. "Our history."

"You're completely right."

"I know," she chirped, resting her head back on his shoulder as they swung back and forth.

Chuckling, JJ pressed a kiss to her temple and relaxed beside her, feeling more content than he ever had before. Sitting there with her, snuggled up beneath the blanket and looking up at the stars was like something straight out of his dreams.

After a moment, Sofia unwrapped her hand from around his arm and reached down to lace their fingers together. It was the perfect fit. "Do you think your parents will be alright with us being together?"

"Well, yeah. Why wouldn't they?"

She bit her lip. "I just don't want this thing between us to turn into me not being able to hang out here like I have in the past. I mean, what if we won't be able to have our study sessions in your room anymore or what if I'm banned from any of Valerie's future sleepovers?"

JJ couldn't help but laugh. "Are you kidding? When my parents were our age, they were already banging and killing bad guys. I think they'll be okay with us dating and hanging out like we have been."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"I'm sure." With a grin, JJ wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. "You worry too much, Fia."

"I do not," she said, adjusting the blanket to cover their shoulders. "I'm just being practical."

Tucking her head under his chin, JJ smiled. "I think my mom will be happy," he said.

"Yeah?"

He nodded. "She really likes you, and before we met, I think she was a little worried that I was turning into a player."

Sofia laughed against his chest. "Were you?"

"I was a flirt, I'd admit that, but it had always been harmless fun. My one and only love had been my art; I didn't have room for anything else." His thumb brushed her hip. "Until I met you."

"Have you always been this cheesy? I swear you've made me blush like ten times today."

"I'm an artist; it's what we do."

Sofia hummed. "Hmmm. I could get used to that."

Lifting a finger, JJ tipped her chin. "And I," he pressed a chaste kiss to her lips, "could get used," another one, "to this."

Her eyes went out of focus for a moment. Then she smiled and kissed again before tucking her head into the crook of his neck. They fell silent for a long time after that, just rocking back and forth under the stars, his arms wrapped snugly around her. The way her slow, even breaths fanned over his skin made him realize after awhile that she was falling asleep.

JJ smiled to himself. He should've known that she wouldn't be able to last the night. He'd lost count of the number of times he had to hang up on her because she fell asleep during one of their late night phone calls. And as much as he wanted to live in this moment with her forever, he really needed to get her back inside before they both froze their butts off.

Grabbing hold of both Sofia and the blanket, JJ stood and carried his girlfriend bridal style as he made his way back into the loft. To his surprise, the living room was silent and as he made it further into the room, he heard the snores of a few of the girls. The movie was still going, but someone must have muted it before they all fell asleep.

The living room floor was covered with girls, including Valerie, pillows and blankets scattered all over the place. Not trusting her to sleep next to anyone else, JJ placed Sofia down next to his sister.

Pulling back, he looked down and his eyes scanned her face. Her long lashes were brushing the tops of her cheeks and her face looked more relaxed than he'd ever seen it. Reaching out, he brushed one of her dark curls away from her face, his gaze softening when she smiled in her sleep.

JJ had seen thousands of paintings and pieces of art in his lifetime, some created by him, others created by artists who'd mastered their craft. But even so, he'd never seen anything quite as beautiful and graceful as Sofia. She was a masterpiece, in and of itself.

With a contented sigh, JJ leaned down and pressed a small kiss to the top of her head. "I love you," he whispered, not caring if she or anyone else around them could hear. He just couldn't help himself.

To his surprise, Sofia stirred at his words, her hands blindly finding his face as she brought his mouth down on hers. It was a quick, sleepy kiss on her part, but it was all he needed. "Te amo," she whispered back.

His chest warmed with her words, making him smile as he draped the blanket over her small, curled up frame.

After cutting off the TV, JJ took one last look at her before finally tearing himself away and heading toward his bedroom. As he walked silently, his mind played the events of the day over and over. He'd never been in a serious relationship before, but this thing with Sofia felt right. They had the friendship aspect down packed, and if tonight was any indication of what the romantic aspect of their relationship would look like, there was no doubt in his mind that they would have something special.

He didn't take leaps of faith often.

But this was one he'd never forget.

* * *

 **What did you think?**

 **Love it? Hate it?**

 **Let me know!**

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this cute little chapter and have fallen in love with JJ and Sofia just as I have. Now, like I've said before I'm only going to be making maybe one or two more of these (most likely one) because ideas for my new story are rolling around in my head and need to be released. So I hope you've enjoyed the outtakes so far and I cannot wait for you to read more.**


	4. Stronger Together

**Hello, my lovelies. Hope you're having an amazing day, and if you're in America, Happy Fourth of July! For the past few days I've been wondering whether I hear fireworks or gunshots outside of my window, so that's been fun for me. Anyway, enough about that, let's get to the chapter. Enjoy!**

 **P.S. The idea for this outtake was inspired by user xTheMorningStarx, who wanted to see how Clary and Jace would handle a fight. Thanks again for the suggestion!**

 **Disclaimer: All TMI characters belong to Cassandra Clare :)**

 **For reference: This outtake takes place about a year after their engagement. Clary is 21 and Jace is 22. They are both working for the Agency.**

* * *

 _Chapter Songs:_

 _**Muddy Waters by LP (Scene 1)_

 _**Tonight by Lykke Li (Scene 2)_

 _**Love by Lana Del Rey (Scene 3)_

* * *

Anger coursed through Clary's veins as she burst through the front door of her loft, slamming it shut the second she stepped inside. She didn't care if Jace was right behind her, and part of her actually hoped that the hard wood hit him right in the face.

Clary was beyond pissed. So much so that she could barely see past the blinding rage taking over her body. The air around her felt hot and an invisible weight sat heavily on her chest, making it hard to breathe. She'd never felt this way after a mission, especially a successful one, but this time was different.

Their assignment was supposed to be a simple drug bust. Track down the suppliers and collect the drugs. _Simple_. But it turned out to be anything but, and it was all his fault.

A second later, the door opened again and a perplexed Jace followed her into the loft. "Oh, yeah. Slam the door in my face. Real mature, Clary."

Hearing the annoyance in his tone, Clary whirled around to face him. He'd been the one acting stupid and irresponsible, yet he had the nerve to act as if _she_ was the problem. " _I'm_ the one being immature?" she said, incredulously. "Are you kidding me right now?"

"Well, what am I supposed to think?" he asked her, the fire in his eyes matching hers. "You haven't said a word to me since the bust and now you expect me to just magically know what's wrong? Well excuse me for not being a mind reader."

"You should know exactly what's wrong," she told him. "And if you don't, that says a lot about not only you, but also us as partners."

Jace simply stared at her for a moment as he thought things over, but she wasn't going to give him all day. Either he knew or he didn't. "Wait. This isn't about the guy that tried to shoot you, is it?"

Yes, that was exactly what it was about. When they went on missions like these, they always knew that there was a possibility that the targets knew more about the area than they did. It was why they used extra precaution in those situations, but sometimes no matter how cautious you are, there could always be someone at least one step ahead of you.

Still not liking that he seemed baffled by her anger, she practically screamed her next words. "Of course it is, you asshole!"

Jace took a step closer to her. "Are you seriously mad at me for that? Clary, I was trying to save your life."

"I didn't ask to be saved," she shot back. "What you did back there was selfish and idiotic, and I can't believe you don't see it that way."

He clenched his jaw, eyes narrowing into slits. Now he was getting angry, which helped her not feel so damn ostracized. "So you're pissed because I was willing to step in front of the barrel of a gun, which, by the way, came out of fucking nowhere. Neither of us knew that guy was there until it was too late. All I know is that one minute we were bagging up the drugs and the next some crazy guy jumps out and aims a pistol at your face. What was I supposed to do, just stand there and let it happen?"

"In case you weren't listening before," she said. "I didn't ask you to jump in front of me and shove me away like some damsel in distress—"

"It's not like that," Jace cut her off. "We made a pact a long time ago that we would watch each other's backs out there and that's exactly what I did."

Clary still couldn't believe that he wasn't getting it. When she woke up this morning, she did not expect to be having a heated conversation with her fiancé in the middle of the living room over something that could have been so easily avoided.

She scoffed. "No, that wasn't you having my back. That was you trying to be the hero, the savior, and I've honestly had it with you and your obsession with keeping me safe. It frustrates the hell out of me."

"That's bullshit, and you know it." He was getting angrier. "Nothing but my love for you made me do what I did back there. It was the same with Starkweather. So don't try to point this on me when you've done the same thing in the past."

Clary raked a hand through her hair, her fist clenching on the strands. "That was different. Back then, it was my _mission_ to protect you. It was what I'd been assigned to do. But today, you treated me as if I were your assignment and not your partner. And yes, I know the gun jammed and you were able to shoot him, but we didn't know that that would happen." She released a shaky breath. "You could've died, Jace."

He took another few steps toward her, closing the distance. "This isn't anything new, Clary. Every mission we accept is another risk we take, but that's what we signed up for."

"I didn't sign up for this," she motioned between them. "When we started out, we were like this power duo. We were equals. But ever since you proposed to me, you've treated me differently out in the field. You step in front of me, you take charge when I don't need you to, and you do these wild, impulsive things that make me fear for your life. It wasn't supposed to be this way."

Sighing, Jace lifted his hand and attempted to cup her cheek, but she smacked it away. "Clary, I—"

"Don't touch me," she hissed. "God, you just don't get it, do you?"

The anger in his eyes was dissipating, replaced by desperation. "I'm just trying to protect you like you've protected me. Is that really a bad thing?"

Clary let out a breath, trying to stay calm. "Do you know how long it took me to prove myself when I started training at the Academy? No matter what I did, there was always someone who underestimated me. I worked my ass off day in and day out, but people still couldn't see past my appearance. They treated me like I was a joke, like I wasn't even worth the trouble, but I proved every single one of them wrong." She bit her lip. "And I'd thought that I also proved myself to you, after everything that's happened, but apparently I haven't."

"You have." Jace lifted his hand again, as if on impulse, but he thought better of it and tucked both hands into his pockets. "You're the smartest, toughest person I know. I wouldn't trust anyone else to have my back out in the field. You know that."

"Then start acting like it," she said. "Stop treating me like I need to be protected from myself. You say that I'm smart and that I'm tough, but lately when it comes to getting things done on missions, you don't even give me a chance to handle myself." Her fiery gaze met his. "If there's one thing I learned from my mother, it's that I don't need a man to do my dirty work for me. I haven't before and I never will. The sooner you get that through your head, the better off we'll be."

"You're saying you don't need me?" Jace half asked, half whispered.

Clary stood her ground. "I need a partner who is willing to have my back, but also someone who knows how to step aside when it's my time to get shit done. I don't need a babysitter, Jace. But right now I'm not even sure if you know the difference between the two."

He stared down at her. "So, if we're out there and something crazy happens before any of us really have any time to think, you expect me to just step aside, as you said, and hope like hell that it works out? Well that's bullshit. I couldn't live with myself if I stood by and watched someone hurt you or worse, all the while knowing that there was something I could've done to stop it." One of his hands left his pocket and reached for hers, but she was too focused on his steely gaze to stop him. Grabbing her left hand, he ran his thumb over the engagement ring he put on her finger almost a year ago. "Not when we have so much to lose."

Clary felt her resolve slipping, but she had to stay strong. He had to understand that this was not the kind of partnership she wanted. He may have seen it as being a little protective because he cared for her like no one else, but all Clary saw was a man purposely sidelining her for the sake of his own conscious.

He said it himself that there were risks to the job they willingly signed up for. Of course they were going to be put in dangerous situations, but if his only focus was to keep her from getting hurt and doing reckless things in order to ensure that it didn't happen, it could easily blow up in their faces one day. And if he didn't change his ways fast, that day would come sooner than they thought.

He seemed to think that he was indestructible, but this wasn't some game. These were their actual lives on the line. If his recklessness led to him getting seriously hurt, there were no do-overs or second chances, and that scared the shit out of her. She just couldn't have that kind of thing hanging over her head.

Releasing a breath, Clary gathered all of her strength and tore her hand away from his. "Then maybe . . . maybe we should rethink our dynamic."

His eyes flashed with a emotion she could only describe as fear. "What are you saying?"

God, this was harder than she thought it'd be. "I don't know if we should do this together anymore. It's gotten to the point where I've begun to dread the thought of a new mission instead of the excitement that I used to get. You've just become so unpredictable and it scares me. I shouldn't worry as much as I do, but you've made it that way. And part of me can't take it anymore."

Jace just stood there, frozen, his eyes still showing the same emotion. "When you say you want to rethink our dynamic, do you mean the one we have out in the field, or do you mean us?"

Clary swallowed. She did not like where this was going. "Maybe we should talk about this later. Our emotions are pretty high right now and—"

"Don't do that," he said, his voice cutting over hers. "You can't just drop a bomb like that and then walk away. If you want me to understand what's wrong, you have to talk to me."

Clary opened her mouth and then closed it. She didn't know how to tell him that their missions were starting to put a strain on their relationship. She still loved him and wanted to be with him—she would be forever—but he'd put her on the spot and she didn't want to risk saying something that she didn't mean in the heat of the moment.

Jace's chest heaved with a deep breath, his eyes pleading. "Just tell me what you want from me, Clary."

It was getting harder and harder for her to keep it together. Seeing that look on his face made her insides feel like they were breaking, but she couldn't sugarcoat her thoughts. It would only work against them.

Tucking her hair behind her ear, Clary whispered her next words. "I need space."

"Space," he repeated, as if testing out the word.

She nodded. "I need to think things over and gather my thoughts. I don't want to say anything right now that I'll regret later, so all I'm asking for is time." At his silence, she fidgeted with her fingers. "Maybe I'll give Isabelle a call and see if I could crash there for the night."

"No, don't worry about that." Jace cleared his throat and looked down at his shoes. "I'll save you the trouble and just stay out of your way."

Clary tried to hide her flinch. "Jace, you don't have to."

"If it's space you need, then I'll give it to you, but promise me that you won't leave the loft tonight." He raked a hand through his hair. "I'll sleep on the couch and you can take the bedroom, and we'll hash this out in the morning once we've cleared our heads."

She bit back another bout of emotion. "Okay."

With a tight smile, Jace tucked his hands back into his pockets. "Goodnight, Clary," he murmured, moving past her and giving her the space she'd asked for.

Clary watched him go, his tall frame disappearing into the upstairs bathroom. She couldn't help but picture him showering all alone, knowing that any other day she'd be right in there with him, allowing him to calm her down after a high stakes mission. Her body tingled at the thought, but this time she had to ignore it.

Turning away from the living room, Clary made her way down the hall to their bedroom. She knew she told Jace that she needed this time to think, but her mind was a blank as she showered and got ready for bed.

It wasn't until later that night that she regained control of her thoughts. As she laid there on a bed that was clearly meant for two, staring up at the ceiling, she realized something. Something that she hadn't even considered before and changed her perspective on everything.

Jace still wasn't over what happened with Starkweather.

They didn't talk about that night often, but it was clear now that it still haunted him. She couldn't imagine what it was like to see it all happen, to know that she could've died right there in his arms and he'd have nothing to show for it. And with his eidetic memory, every vivid detail was locked away in his mind, waiting to be resurfaced at any given moment. He couldn't just block it out like she could, and it was stupid of her to assume that their minds worked in the same ways.

When she really thought about it, Jace didn't start acting this way after their engagement. No, it'd been long before that. She'd noticed a change in him the minute she got back from isolation. The way he watched her closer, held her tighter at night, and never went a day without telling her how much he loved her. Whether he told her with his words, his eyes, or with his body, he never allowed her to question what he felt for her.

But she'd always stacked his behavior up with him missing her and being happy that she was back in his life, but there was clearly a deeper meaning for it. This wasn't about him trying to be a hero. This was about him not wanting the past to repeat itself. She'd thought that he was being controlling and undermining her by stepping in when she didn't ask him to, but now she knew that that wasn't the case at all.

He was afraid. Afraid that if he didn't have his guard up at all times, they'd be right back where they were in that gymnasium and maybe they wouldn't get as lucky the second time. Of course that fear alone would cause him to do impulsive things when it came to keeping her safe.

Jace had tried to express his fears back there, but all she did was shut him down and yell at him. She saw the helplessness in his eyes when she told him she didn't need him, the intensity in his stare when she called him selfish. Deep down, he'd been hurting since that night and all that fight did was hurt him even more.

They were supposed to stick together through everything, but here she was being a complete hypocrite and pushing him away when he clearly needed her. She let her anger get the best of her, and in result she made a huge mistake.

The realization hit Clary like a freight train and she sat up with a gasp. God, she was such an idiot. Knowing Jace, he was probably in the other room beating himself up about what happened, and it was all because of her. He didn't deserve to feel unwanted and unsure of her feelings for him.

Clary had to make this right and she couldn't wait until morning to do it.

.o.O.o.

Jace couldn't sleep for the life of him. The couch was cold and uncomfortable, and the pillow he was holding didn't compare to the warm body he was used to. All he could think about was their argument and everything leading up to it.

Tonight he'd been completely blindsided. Here he thought that they were this amazing team, but that wasn't the case for Clary at all. She thought that he was overshadowing her out in the field, that he wasn't allowing her to be the strong, independent woman that they both knew she was capable of being. Jace never thought about it that way, but maybe she was right. Maybe he was taking more control than he should've, even if it was unintentional.

He just wanted to protect her and do anything in his power to make sure that she was safe, but he'd taken it a step too far and possibly ruined one of the best things that's ever happened to him. He hated that he made her feel like she still had to prove herself and he hated that he made her question their relationship, especially now that he was so close to finally making her his forever.

But right now, Jace felt like the biggest asshole on the planet. At the start of their argument, he'd been just as angry as she was, but by the end of it, he just wanted to hold her and promise her that he'd do anything to make things right. They'd get past this, but keeping their distance from each other wasn't doing them any good. His thoughts were eating him alive to point that getting any sleep was impossible, and he knew for a fact that Clary was having the same problem.

It was then that his resolve snapped. Screw space. He needed to go to her and set things straight or he'd drive himself further into a pool of regret.

But just as Jace pulled back the blanket that barely covered his body, he heard their bedroom door open and hurried footsteps making their way toward the living room. Before he knew it, she was right there in front of him, dropping to her knees so they were eye to eye. His breath caught in his throat at the wide-eyed, fraught look on her face.

"Jace . . ."

The desperation in her voice made his gaze soften and he immediately sat up, tentatively reaching out to tuck her hair behind her ear. "Baby . . ."

That word alone seemed to spur her on, and without hesitation, Clary lurched forward and threw her arms around his neck. The emotions she'd been holding in came flooding back all at once. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."

Shaking his head, Jace ran his hand through her hair, his arm curling around her waist. "No, I'm the one who's sorry. You were completely right. I—I haven't been treating you like an equal out there. I've let my fear of losing you turn me into this overprotective, selfish asshole."

"I was afraid that you'd think that," she said, pulling away to look at him. "Jace, I know why all of this is happening."

"You do?"

Clary nodded. "There's a part of you, deep down, that hasn't let go of what happened with Starkweather. We don't talk about it often, but maybe we should, because it's clear to me now that you're still hurting." She looked between his eyes. "Am I wrong?"

He released a sigh. "No, you're not wrong. I just never want what happened that night to happen again."

"And I don't want what happened that night to happen to _you_. Which is why it scares me when you go to such great lengths to protect me."

"I know, and I'm sorry for that," he told her.

Clary moved to cup his cheeks. "But it's not entirely your fault. I could've tried to understand you instead of blowing up at you like that. If only I would've read between the lines and realized that this was more than you being a little overprotective."

"I can't expect you to know what I'm thinking all the time. That's why we have to talk things through and not turn away from each other in times like these."

"It was stupid of me to ask for space," she said. "Not having you next to me tonight was torture in itself. I felt so cold and alone, and even when I thought that I was angry with you, all I wanted was to be in your arms and have you tell me that everything was going to be okay."

Jace felt his heart skip a beat at her words. Lying back down, he opened his arms to her. "Come here." When she climbed on top of him, her body stretching out over his, he closed his arms around her and met her gaze. "Everything's going to be okay," he whispered.

Her face went into the crook of his neck. "Promise?"

His hands traveled the length of her body, warming it with his. "Cross my heart."

"What are we going to do?" she asked, and he knew she was talking about their partnership.

Jace thought about it for a moment. On the one hand, he wanted to change for her, but another realistic part of him knew that it wouldn't be that easy. This kind of change didn't come overnight, but with all the missions they've been taking on lately, they might not have the time to fix things before it was too late. So, in his mind, there was only one solution.

"No more missions."

Clary's head left his shoulder and she stared down at him, eyes wide. "What?"

"No more missions," he repeated. "At least not for a while." Her eyes stayed trained on his, but she didn't say a word. He sighed. "Okay, just hear me out. We've been taking on missions nonstop for almost a year now, which means we haven't really gotten much time to ourselves. Being at the Agency's beck and call twenty-four hours of the day is starting to get to us. It's clearly stressing us out and now we're arguing, so maybe a break is what we need. You know they say absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Clary's eyes flashed with fear. "Are you saying you want to take a break from us? Because when I said I wanted to rethink our dynamic, I didn't mean to imply that I didn't want to be with you."

"I know that," Jace whispered, trying to soothe her. "By break, I meant from the Agency. We're amazing at what we do, but maybe a little vacation will allow us to actually appreciate what we have." He reached up to trace her jaw. "I want to take you away from here, Clary. Somewhere without drug dealers and motorcycle gangs trying to shoot us."

She visibly relaxed and leaned her forehead against his. "It's amazing that you manage to know exactly what I need before I know it myself."

Jace pressed his lips to her cheek. "So, can I take that as a yes?"

Clary nodded. "Yes, you can take me away. I don't care where, just anywhere but here."

For the first time that night, Jace allowed himself to grin. "I think that can be arranged." He met her gaze. "But on one condition."

"Let's hear it."

He wiggled a little beneath her. "Can I please come back to bed? This couch is killing me."

Clary smiled down at him. "I'll allow it," she said. But when he attempted to move, she placed a hand on his chest, a glint he knew all too well in her eyes. "On one condition."

Jace dropped his head back onto the couch, his hands already gripping her hips. "Anything."

Smirking, Clary leaned down and arched against him, her mouth trailing over his jaw until she reached his ear. "Make me forget why we ever fought tonight," she whispered.

Jace sighed out his relief. "God, I thought you'd never ask." Then, without hesitation, he grabbed her and stood, feeling like he was on cloud nine now that he had his woman back. Clary kept her arms and legs wrapped around him as he walked them back into the bedroom.

 _Their bedroom_.

Once inside, he felt her hands weave themselves into his hair and she was pulling his mouth down on hers. He'd been looking forward to this moment since he forced himself to walk away from her earlier that night, but even so, he didn't rush it. Being with her for all this time, he knew exactly how to read her subtle cues. From the way she was caressing his face and neck, her sighs filling his mouth, he knew that she was looking for something soft and passionate. And that was exactly what he'd give her.

Laying her down gently on their bed, Jace fit himself above her, not yet touching his body with hers. She was wearing one of his shirts, and he smiled at the thought of her rummaging through his dresser to find it, even in the state of mind she'd been in. Grasping the fabric, he slowly eased it up and over her head, feeling the air leave his lungs once the creamy skin of her torso was revealed to him.

"So beautiful," he whispered, his fingers ghosting over her curves.

Clary's eyes were hooded and her lips were parted, clearly lost in the moment. Hooking a leg over his hip, she ran her hands down his bare chest and arched into him. "Jace, please."

He'd planned on teasing her for a little while longer, just so it'd be all the more satisfying when they finally committed to it. But then she ground her hips into his, her nails scratching the sensitive skin above his boxers as she moaned against his lips and— _holy hell_ , he couldn't possibly carry on with this tantalizing pace for any longer.

With a groan, Jace grasped her hips and dropped down, finally giving her the much needed pressure she'd been pleading for. Her eyes fluttered shut as his mouth fell lower, covering the span of her neck and chest with the kind of lingering kisses that were sure to leave marks. The lower half of her body squirmed under his grip, and he knew that it was friction she was looking for, but he didn't let up.

The taste of her skin was addicting, and after that heated argument, he needed this moment to reassure her that they were going to get through this. She wanted him to make her forget why they fought tonight, but he was going to do more than that. He was going to give her a night so full of passion that she wouldn't be able to think about anything but him and what he was going to do to her next.

After mapping out her body with his mouth, Jace allowed his fiancée to strip him of his pajama bottoms and underwear. And when he reached down to rip the fabric covering the warmth between her legs, Clary gasped, her fingers digging into his shoulders.

As he settled back on top of her, Jace caught her eye, seeing that she still had a bout of emotions swirling in them. She still felt guilty for not knowing that he was hurting, but part of him didn't even realize it until tonight either. Letting out a subtle sniff, she diverted her gaze, trying to hide herself from him.

Jace immediately lifted his hands to cup her cheeks. "Look at me, baby." Even in the dark, he could see the moisture filling her eyes once her gaze met his again. Sighing, he tucked her hair behind her ear and smoothed his fingers over her cheeks. "I know you're still feeling guilty—I am too—but the fact that we're here right now just proves that there is nothing out there capable of separating us. It's always going to be me and you, Clary. Always."

Clary looked between both of his eyes, and after a moment of letting his words soak in, she nodded and reached up to mirror the hold he had on her. "Always," she whispered.

Keeping his focus on her emeralds, Jace readjusted his hips to align with hers and slowly moved forward. Her lips parted and a breathy version of his name slipped past them, her face a mixture of both pleasure and desperation. It was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen.

"I love you," she breathed, once they finally became one.

"And I love you," he murmured back, everything leading up to this moment already forgotten about as he let himself get lost in her. Wrapping his arms around her, he captured her whispered pleas with his mouth, his eyes closing on their own accord.

Being with her, making love to her, had always felt amazing, but something about this time was different. The tenderness, the passion, the different emotions running wild in their heads. It was as if this was both their first and last time together.

Clary's hands never left his skin, and the all too familiar chill of her engagement ring only made this moment feel that much more complete. She flooded every single one of his senses. Her beautiful body, her soft skin, her breathy moans filling the space between them, the sweet taste of her lips, the intoxicating aroma of her shampoo. She was everything and everywhere, and Jace couldn't get enough.

The longer they moved together, the more he could feel the anger, the guilt, the worry drifting away, replaced with nothing but love and forgiveness. It was as if the world stopped just for the two of them, and for the first time that night, he let himself go completely.

It wasn't long before their movements turned somewhat frantic, grasping at each other and holding on tight as they prepared to take that leap into the light together. Always together.

Not even a second later, Jace felt Clary's hands on his cheeks and he opened his eyes to catch the look of pure ecstasy on her face right before she gasped out his name and fell apart beneath him. That sight alone made it impossible to hold it together for any longer, and just like that, the world shattered around them. Every inch of him felt like a live wire, the simplest of touches sparking a new flame.

As they attempted to calm themselves, Jace whispered sweet nothings into the crook of her neck, splaying the heated skin with warm, wet kisses. Clary could do nothing but sigh, her grip on him already loosening as she relaxed back into the bed. And in this moment, this perfect moment, Jace realized something.

He'd already proved over the course of the years that he was willing to die for her, but maybe it was time that he proved he could live for her instead.

.o.O.o.

"Are you two absolutely sure you want to do this?"

Clary watched from her spot on the bed as Jace spoke on the phone with Luke about their decision to temporarily leave the Agency. It wasn't an easy decision, but they both agreed to it and there was no turning back now.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, phone in hand, Jace glanced at her from over his shoulder. She'd yet to put on any clothes that morning and the thin white sheet wasn't doing much to conceal her body from him. His golden eyes raked over her for a moment and then the softest look overtook his face. "Yes, sir," he spoke to the phone, but his gaze never left hers. "More sure than anything."

"Well, then, consider it done," Luke said simply. "But as I'm sure you know, there are no paid vacations at the Agency."

"It's never been about the money for us," Jace responded. "But even so, we have more than enough saved up for this."

There was a pause before Luke spoke again. "Okay, son. If this is what you really want, then I'm here to offer my full support."

Jace faced forward again as he released the breath he was holding. "Thank you so much, sir. We'll make sure to keep you updated."

"You do that," Luke said through the speaker, his tone lightening up as he continued. "Oh, and Jace?"

Her fiancé cleared his throat. "Yes?"

"I think this will be a much needed escape for the two of you. You work way too hard for this organization; you deserve it."

"That means a lot," Jace said. "We could never repay you for what you're doing for us."

"Just promise me that you'll do one thing."

"Of course," Jace was quick to say, which made her smile.

Luke's voice rang out into the room seconds later. "Get her the hell out of this city."

That made Jace chuckle. "I plan to, sir."

"Good. We'll talk later."

After voicing his agreement, Jace hung up and his shoulders visibly relaxed. Turning to her, he crawled back up the bed until the length of his body covered hers. He was only wearing a pair of boxers, which made it easy for Clary to feel the warmth that always seemed to radiate off him.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Clary threaded her fingers into his hair and smiled. "See. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"No, it wasn't, but we both know that he's like a father to you, and—I don't know—part of me has always craved his approval."

She shook her head, amazed that he could even think that. "Jace, you make me happier than anyone else in the world. Of course you have his approval."

He pouted. "Just the world?"

Clary playfully rolled her eyes. "And he's back, ladies and gentlemen."

Chuckling, Jace leaned down to kiss her forehead. "You missed me, and you know it."

"In more ways than one," she teased, her fingers moving to trace his abdomen.

Jace looked down at her movements. "Keep that up and we'll never leave this bed, let alone the city," he joked.

Stopping for a second, Clary stared up at him, her hand now moving to the tattoo on his shoulder as she blindly outlined the baby tiger. "So we're really doing this?"

Smirking, Jace reached up to grab her hand and pressed a kiss to her ring. "What if I told you that I already started packing a suitcase while you were sleeping?"

"Seriously?" She laughed. "We don't even know where we're going yet and you're already packing?"

"Well, I thought that we'd figure that out once you woke up, but after a while it didn't look like you were going to." He threaded their fingers together. "But it's understandable. Last night was pretty . . . intense."

"Last night was perfect, despite everything. I don't know how, but I just feel closer to you—in a way that I never have before." Clary closed her eyes and sighed. "And God, the things you did to me, I swear I'd died and gone to heaven."

"Never question the power of make up sex." Jace continued to kiss her hand, working his way across each of her knuckles. They were like a couple of teenagers, unable to keep their hands off each other. "So, do you think you're up for choosing our destination? Because I seriously have no idea where to start."

Wiggling out of his grasp, Clary shoved him gently on the bed beside her and reached across him to grab her laptop from the nightstand. "Let's figure it out together."

"Okay, you start it up. I'll be right back." After slapping a not-so-quick kiss on her lips, Jace removed himself from the bed and quickly made his way to the door. Then he was gone in a flash of tan, muscular skin, and Clary found herself staring at the space he'd been occupying even moments after he left.

Snapping out of it, she sat up and opened the lid to her laptop, decoding it within record time. The thought of getting to go anywhere she wanted with the man she loved made her feel extremely giddy. She hadn't left the states since she was a kid, and a large part of her couldn't wait to set her eyes on something new.

In the midst of all her typing, she heard the bedroom door open and close again. Then his footsteps were nearing the bed and she looked up just in time to see him handing something over to her. Once she spotted the large bowl of fresh fruit, her eyes lit up like saucers, making Jace chuckle as he joined her on the bed. This time he settled in behind her, pulling her between his legs so that her back was pressed against his chest.

"Have I told you how much I love you like this?" he murmured, moving her hair over one shoulder so he could kiss her neck.

Clary giggled and took a bite of a sliced strawberry. "Like what? Naked?"

"Well, that too," he said. "But I was talking about how carefree and relaxed you are right now. Like the world hasn't had a chance to catch up with you yet." His arms slid around her waist. "It's my absolute favorite thing to wake up to."

"It's close to impossible not to feel that way when it's you I'm waking up to," she said, reaching back to thread her hand into his hair as he splayed kisses along her shoulder. "You're the reason I'm this way. I hope you know that."

She felt him grin. "I know, but the reminder is always nice." Sitting up straight, he tucked her head under his chin and pointed to the laptop. "So what are we looking at here?"

Focusing on the screen, Clary settled back into him, still popping pieces of fruit into her mouth. "A map of the world," she said, shrugging. "I don't really know where to start either. Honestly, every country has something unique to offer. We just need to figure out which one works best for us."

"Who said anything about visiting just one?"

Clary twisted her head to look at him, trying to call his bluff, but when he simply raised a brow in challenge, her mouth dropped open. "Seriously?"

Jace grinned, reaching past her to grab a few grapes from the bowl. "I want you to see anything and everything you've ever wanted. You're able to find the beauty in the smallest of things and I know the artist in you is just dying to get out there and explore. So what kind of person would I be to limit you?"

She was amazed at his nonchalance. "How long do you expect this vacation to last?"

He shrugged. "Weeks, months, an entire year. However long you want it to last, baby."

Clary bit her lip. "A year traveling the world with you does sound kind of perfect, and I could really use the inspiration for the studio I plan on opening."

"I was hoping you'd say that." He lifted his hand to cup her cheek. "This is going to be really good for us, Clary. I can feel it."

She leaned into his touch. "I feel it too, but I can't make this decision on my own. We have to do it together."

"I'll go wherever you go."

Shaking her head, Clary set the bowl and laptop aside so she could climb into his lap. Cupping his cheeks, she forced his gaze on hers. "You can't think of it like that." Sighing, she ran her fingers through his hair. "Just answer me this: if you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? And be honest."

"I always am." At the serious look on her face, Jace groaned, pretending to be exasperated. "Okay, okay. If I could go anywhere in the world right now, it would be Paris. And before you accuse me of being completely cliché, I don't want to go there for the popular attractions—although, who in their right mind can resist seeing the Eiffel Tower?" He got a faraway look in his eyes. "When I was a kid, my mom would tell me stories about the little town she grew up in. She didn't tell me much about her family, because I'm sure it hurt to do so, but she did tell me a lot about the neighborhood. There was this family owned coffee shop that she used to visit every day as a teenager, where she read books and drank horrible coffee. She'd called it her safe haven, and even after the fire she still went there for that one sliver of normalcy. To this day, she sends money anonymously to the family to make sure that they stay in business and hopefully give someone else that sense of security." He glanced away. "So, I guess if I could go anywhere, I'd go to that neighborhood, to that exact coffee shop and get a glimpse of her old life. I've always assumed that it would bring us closer, which is all I've ever wanted."

Clary simply stared at him, speechless. She hadn't been expecting that. From the look on his face, she could tell that this was something he'd wanted for a while. This was clearly a dream of his, but she was going to turn it into a reality.

Without a word, Clary leaned in to kiss the tip of his nose right before she turned back around and reached for her laptop. Jace still seemed a little lost in thought as her fingers worked quickly over the keys. But after a moment, he snapped out of it, his body jerking into action in an attempt to stop her.

"Clary, what are you doing?"

Grinning, Clary clicked one more key, finalizing the transaction without a care in the world. "Well, Mr. Herondale, I think you better start brushing up on your French because I just bought us two plane tickets to Paris, France."

"You're joking."

"Nope." She pointed to the screen. "See for yourself."

Dragging the laptop closer, Jace's eyes scanned the screen and then an amazed laugh bubbled out of him. "Holy shit." He hugged her to him. "We're really doing this, aren't we?"

The childlike wonder in his voice made butterflies form in her stomach. And when he set everything aside and flipped her onto her back, Clary couldn't help but laugh with him as he moved his fingers along her sides, tickling her like there was no tomorrow.

"Jace!" she gasped between giggles.

Stopping his ministrations, Jace cupped her cheeks and silenced her with a kiss. Then he pulled away, his golden eyes meeting hers. "Are you sure that this is what you want? This isn't happening just because of my story, is it?"

"That's part of the reason," Clary said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "But when you really think about it, Paris has something for both of us. The landmarks, the museums, the neighborhoods." She grinned. "Nifty little coffee shops with horrible coffee and great character. It's the perfect place to start this journey of ours."

Jace ran his thumb over her locket. "God, I can't wait."

"Well, I'd hope so. Our plane leaves at midnight." Tipping her chin, Clary pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw. "So maybe we should get out of bed and finish packing, because we still have to tell the rest of our family about this."

"I know." Looking between her eyes, he leaned his head against hers. "But I want you to myself for just a little while longer."

"You have me," she whispered. "Besides, there's something really important I need to say."

Jace looked a little worried. "What is it?"

"Nothing bad," she was quick to say, calming him. "I just—I wanted you to know that if you ever want to talk about what happened that night, I'll be here to listen. I know that with the way your mind works, the wound will always be somewhat fresh, but you have to know that you don't have to go at it alone. When you need the reminder that I'm safe and nothing is going to happen to me, tell me and I'll give it to you. No questions asked. Okay?"

He nodded. "Okay, baby."

Clary placed a chaste kiss to his lips. "Good. Glad that's settled."

Jace was silent for a moment, then he asked, "How many jewelry stores do you think are out there in the world?"

She had no idea where he was going with this, but she could barely think past her happiness, so she decided to humor him anyway. "Infinite."

"So what if I told that I was in search of something?"

"I'd have to say that I'm intrigued." Her gaze met his. "What exactly are you in search of?"

Grinning, Jace cupped her face, his thumb softly caressing her cheek. "The perfect ring for the perfect woman."

"Even more perfect than the one already on my finger?"

"I was thinking about something a little more permanent," he said. "Like forever kind of permanent."

Clary's eyes softened at his words. He always did have a way with them. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Yes, I am." Wrapping his arm around her waist, he held her close, making her feel warm and safe. "In a minute, we're going to get out of this bed, pack a few suitcases, say goodbye to our family, and prepare for a seven hour flight to Paris. Then we're going to start this journey that we so desperately need and deserve, and we're not coming back until we've gotten what we needed out of it. I don't care how long that takes, but know this," he tucked her hair behind her ear, his golden eyes turning molten. "The minute we get back, I'm going to make you my wife."

Feeling extra giddy, Clary nuzzled into him and allowed herself to be held, knowing that he had big things planned for them. She'd never done anything like this before, but when it came to the man she loved, Clary would follow him to the end of the earth. Nothing—no amount of arguments or other obstacles—could get in the way of that.

Last night proved one thing and one thing only: they were stronger together than they were apart. And right now, they were stronger than ever before.

"I don't think I can love you any more than I do right now," she whispered.

Jace gave her a knowing smirk right before he leaned down and kissed her senseless. When she began laughing against his lips, he pulled away and full-on smiled, his eyes filled with so much love and adoration.

"We'll just have to see about that, Tiger."

Clary couldn't stop the wide grin that overtook her face as she stared up at her future.

 _Yes. Yes they would._

* * *

 **What did you think?**

 **Love it? Hate it?**

 **Let me know!**

 **A/N: So I hope you liked seeing a different side to Clary and Jace's relationship. Things aren't always perfect, but it's clear that their bond always makes it so that they come out on top. And I know I said that this was most likely going to be the last outtake, but the same reviewer also inspired me to write about their world travels too. If it's okay with you guys, I'd love to keep this train going. Either way, thank you so much for sticking with me! Much love :)**


	5. This Is A Holdup?

**Hello, my lovelies. Hope you're having an amazing spring. I know this outtake was supposed to be a continuation of the last, but I got an amazing idea from user Shauna Kullden, who wanted to see the Herondales experience a mission together. So, I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: All TMI characters belong to Cassandra Clare :)**

 **For reference: This outtake takes place one year after the third one and is in JJ's POV. The twins are 18.**

* * *

 _Chapter Songs:_

 _**Never Tear Us Apart by Bishop Briggs (Scene 1)_

 _**Dusk Till Dawn by ZAYN feat. Sia (Scene 2)_

* * *

"I win."

Valerie scoffed as she got out of her car, Scott Wheeler following after her. JJ couldn't help but roll his eyes at the sight. He didn't exactly like the guy. He'd been on-again, off-again with his sister for two years now. Although, this time they swore that they were just friends, but JJ saw right through that charade.

"The only reason you won is because you got the motorcycle after that very intense game of _rock, paper, scissors_."

"I won it fair and square," JJ said as he nudged the kickstand out with his foot. Then he reached behind him and helped Sofia off the bike before getting off himself. He watched as she took off her helmet and shook out her long dark hair before shrugging off his leather jacket so he could put it back on.

Smiling, JJ wrapped his arm around her and asked, "How was the ride?" He already knew how it was for him. Having her arms around him and feeling her body flush with his was the reason why he wanted the bike in the first place.

"Exhilarating, but still scary. I don't think I'll ever get used to it."

"That's because my brother drives like a maniac," Valerie chimed in.

"Hey, I had a race to win. Don't be a sore loser, Val."

His sister flipped him off before grabbing Scott's hand and dragging him into the diner where they were apparently having their impromptu lunch date. Or double date, rather.

Sofia laughed as they walked away and turned back to him with those beautiful hazel eyes. "What do you think's going on with those two?" she asked.

JJ narrowed his eyes at the empty space they'd been occupying. "I don't know. After two years of this crap, I know my sister still feels something for him, and he has to feel something too. I mean, why else would he choose to spend spring break here when he could be on a beach somewhere with his college buddies?"

"You don't like him, do you?"

"I'm just really protective of Val. I don't want anyone to hurt her." He sighed, looking down into her eyes. "But maybe they were meant to be. Maybe there's a reason why they can't seem to move on from each other."

"Maybe." She reached up to touch his arm. "I couldn't imagine moving on from you."

JJ couldn't contain his wide grin. Leaning down, he pressed a small kiss to the top of her head. "That's why I plan on never letting you go, Fia."

She smiled back at him. "Same here."

Taking her hand, he led her into the diner where he found his sister and Scott in a booth in the far back corner. That was part of what he liked about this place. There was no wait, they could choose the seats they wanted, and the food was amazing.

Letting go of his hand, Sofia skipped over to the booth and slid in first so she sat across from Valerie. JJ hung back for a second longer to admire her in those high-waisted jeans that hugged her curves in all the right places. Sometimes he couldn't believe that they were together, even though it'd been a year already.

Once JJ reached the booth, he saw that the girls had already struck up a conversation and were talking excitedly. Before he sat down he caught Scott staring at his sister with an unreadable expression on his face. He couldn't be certain, but he could've sworn he almost looked . . . wistful.

JJ raised a brow at him, but didn't push it any further. "So, how's college treating you?" he asked.

Scott shrugged. "It's a lot of work, but I'm holding up. I just can't wait until football season starts. That's when I'm really in my element."

JJ nodded, knowing that his dream was to be drafted into the NFL. "Well, good luck this season. You're definitely a force to be reckoned with."

That made Scott smile. "Thanks, man."

A waitress came by soon after that to take their orders, and both Scott and Sofia laughed when the twins attempted to order the exact same thing at the same time. The waitress's eyes widened as their voices lapped over each other in perfect sync, but JJ and Valerie were so used to it that they didn't even blink.

"Sorry," Valerie said to her once they were done. "It's a twin thing."

The waitress laughed. "Thanks for the heads up. Maybe I'll be more prepared next time." With that, she twirled around to put their orders in.

JJ sat back and got more comfortable as they all began talking about anything and everything. Like what they were doing for the rest of spring break, complaining about teachers giving them homework when they were meant to relax, how excited the three of them were to go to their senior prom. And JJ didn't miss the relief in Scott's eyes when Valerie mentioned she didn't have a date and wasn't really looking for one.

Scott cleared his throat. "You know, if you don't find a date, I wouldn't mind driving down and taking you," he said, shrugging as if it weren't a big deal, but JJ knew it was to him. "I mean, only if you want to. Just an idea. No biggie."

Valerie tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing her blush as she looked down at the table. "Um, yeah, that'd be great. I'll let you know."

JJ wanted to roll his eyes so bad. God, they were still so obviously in love with each other and it was hard not to shake some sense into both of them. But he knew that all he could do was wait until they figured it out themselves, like he and Sofia did. He just hoped this time around, Scott would man up, stop playing games, and realize that if he didn't treat Valerie right, some other guy would.

But as he watched Scott blush a little too and give his sister another one of those looks, he became a little more optimistic.

Sofia scooted in closer to him and reached for his hand. It was clear she was seeing the same thing he did between those two. She sent him a knowing smile and JJ brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it in response. She was so beautiful and he was extremely lucky to have her.

A few minutes later, after Sofia got into a story about her kooky Abuela, something in the parking lot caught JJ's eye. He'd been taught by his parents to always be aware of his surroundings and to trust his instincts. In that moment, all he could hear was his mother's voice.

 _There's no such thing as a coincidence, Jonathan. If something feels off, that's because it is._

And right now, something felt off. For one, the car that just entered the parking lot hadn't moved for a good five minutes and wasn't in a parking spot or attempting to get into one. The heavily tinted car was also partially blocking the entrance, which also happened to be the exit. But what really had JJ tensing where he sat was when three men exited the vehicle, keeping their heads down as they went to open the trunk.

Valerie must have sensed that something was wrong because she looked at him with worried eyes. "JJ? What's going on?"

When he saw the sun reflecting off something metal and shiny near one of their waistbands, he knew he had no time to waste. "Valerie, send our parents an SOS text right now. Tell them the diner is about to be robbed." A look passed between them and she immediately pulled out her phone to send the message.

"How many are there?"

"Three incoming and one getaway driver blocking the entrance."

"What the fuck?" Scott whispered-yelled. "Are you serious?" He looked around, eyes wide, and even attempted to stand up to get a look for himself, but Valerie immediately grabbed his shirt and yanked him back down.

"Do _not_ make eye contact or draw attention to yourself. They will kill us all if they see the panic on your face and realize they've been found out." Her voice was laced with fire, more serious than he was used to hearing. But it seemed to do the job as Scott sat back down and grabbed handfuls of his hair.

"JJ?"

Sofia's voice was frail and shaky. Knowing that they had little time before the men burst through those doors and raised hell, JJ turned to her, cupped her face between his palms, and stared into her watering hazel eyes.

"What's happening?" she whispered. "I-I'm scared."

"I know you are, Fia, but it's going to be okay," he said. "I have no idea what their plan is, but I'm prepared for anything. Just know that I won't let anything happen to you. Those men have no idea who they're messing with."

She closed her eyes and a tear fell down her cheek that he quickly wiped away. "What are you gonna do?"

"What the Herondale's do best: kick some ass."

"You're crazy," she sputtered. "You could get hurt."

"So could you. That's why I have to do everything I can to keep you safe." JJ smoothed his thumbs over her cheeks. "I need you to be strong right now, Fia. You be my rock and I'll be yours."

Sofia nodded and stared into his eyes. "Okay, I'll try."

Just then, the doors to the diner swung open, revealing the three men with bandannas now covering their faces. As soon as they crossed the threshold, the one in front reached into his waistband and pulled out a shiny pistol. Sofia flinched at the sight and JJ immediately pulled her face back to his and leaned down to give her a kiss of desperation. It was short and she barely had enough time to react before he dropped his hands to her waist and pulled her into him protectively.

"Everyone listen up!" the man in front yelled. He was clearly the ringleader, the others just there to follow whatever plan he'd concocted. "I want all of you to put your cellphones, wallets, and purses on your tables. If I see anyone attempting to call the police, I will not hesitate to shoot your ass." He motioned to the man to his right. "Go clear out the kitchen and gather all the staff. I want everyone in my sight."

By now, the diner was quiet, everyone inside too afraid to make a sound, but that didn't stop JJ from speaking to Sofia in hushed tones, trying to keep her calm. He spoke to her in Spanish, knowing that it made her feel like she was home. He told her that they were going to be okay and promised they'd get out of there soon. To just do what the men said and he'd handle the rest. Across from him, he saw Valerie sitting closer to Scott, their hands clasped together.

Once everyone had their belongings on the table, the ringleader yelled out, "Now I want everyone's hands in the air! Palms out, I want to see them." He started waving the gun around again, making some people shriek and others whimper. Then he shoved a duffle bag into the man to his left. "Go around and collect everything. Kill anyone who doesn't comply." He turned to the other one. "And you, get all the money from the register."

As both men dispersed to do what they'd been ordered, JJ quickly locked eyes with Valerie. "Give me one of your knives," he mouthed, knowing that she kept her throwing knives on her at all times.

Nodding, she slowly reached down into her side holster to get one before handing it to him under the table. JJ discreetly slid it underneath the sleeve of his leather jacket as they both returned their hands to the air.

When he looked up, he saw that the man going table to table collecting people's belongings was getting a little closer. He knew then he had to get a plan in motion. "Okay, listen to me because we don't have much time," he whispered so only the three of them could hear. "In a minute, I want the two of you to get under the table. Val and I are going to catch them off guard and disarm them to give everyone a chance to escape. When that happens, I want you to run out to the car, lock the doors, and stay low. Nod if you understand."

They nodded slowly.

"Scott, I'm putting my keys in your pocket right now," Valerie said. "Make sure you get Sofia out of here safely."

"I will."

JJ glanced over at Sofia to see how she was doing, and although she had tears in her eyes, she was holding her head high. And when she looked over at him with trusting eyes, he knew that he'd do anything to keep his promise.

When the man was two tables down from them, JJ met Valerie's gaze again. "You'll know when," he mouthed, and she winked in response, the confidence rolling off of her.

He and Valerie weren't exactly Agents. In fact, neither of them ever wanted to be, but JJ couldn't deny that they both had a certain set of skills that'd been ingrained in them since birth. They'd never turn their backs on people in danger—and in his case, especially when one of those people happened to be the girl he loved.

The man approached their table then, gun in one hand, duffle bag in the other. "Alright, put your shit in the bag," he barked, pointing the gun at him first.

JJ just stared into the man's eyes, not moving to do what he said. It was definitely a risky move, but he needed another second to get the guy right where he wanted him.

"Are you fucking deaf, kid? I said put it in the bag."

He continued to stare at him with a blank expression as the man's eyes blazed angrier than before.

"Last chance," he shoved the gun into JJ's temple. "Or I'll blow your brains out right now."

Feeling the cold metal on his skin, JJ knew that the man was about to snap. It was time.

Just as the man was about to give one last warning, he sprung into action. The man's angry eyes turned into shocked ones when, in the blink of an eye, JJ grabbed his arm and twisted it painfully, the gun now facing the back wall instead of their table. Seeing their window, Scott and Sofia took the opportunity to quickly duck under the table, now somewhat protected from the chaos that was about to ensue.

The man cried out as JJ stood and wrenched his arm behind his back, his bones audibly creaking as he continued twisting. Then he grabbed the back of the guy's head and slammed it down onto the hard wooden table, most likely creating a painful ringing behind his eyes. While he was temporarily disoriented, JJ reached down to snatch the gun out of his grasp. And with one hand on the back of the asshole's neck and the other holding the gun, he pressed the magazine release and watched as the clip fell to the floor before tossing the gun across the room.

The scuffle drew the attention of the ringleader as he rounded the corner. "Mikey, what the fuck is going on back there?"

JJ quickly pulled "Mikey" up to stand in front of him as he worked the knife he'd hidden up his sleeve down into his hand so he could hold it against his throat. The guy in charge came to a hard stop at the sight of them and JJ's eyes met his as he wrenched his friend's arm again, making him howl in pain.

"Tell him to back off right now or I'll break it," he said.

Grunting, Mikey called out, "He says to back off, Michael. He'll break my arm if you don't and I'm sure as hell not taking a beating for you."

"Are you seriously threatened by a stupid kid trying so hard to be a hero?" Michael let out a dry chuckle. "You're really making me rethink bringing you on this job, man." With a wave of his hand, he motioned for the other guy to come over. "Mike, go handle this kid and get the bag. I don't care if we have to leave him behind, let's just finish the job."

It was smart of them to use fake names to address each other and the bandannas did a pretty decent job of hiding their faces and muffling their voices. They actually did a lot of things right. No one ever expects to get robbed at a diner and there's no way anyone's taking a bullet to protect a cheap place like this. But there was one thing they didn't account for: two badass twins who were going to take them down.

As the man who called himself Mike neared them, JJ saw Valerie scooting closer to the edge of the booth as she discreetly withdrew another knife from her holster.

Just in case Mikey saw and decided to say something, JJ twisted his arm again and any words he would've said turned into another howl. It also worked as a distraction because Mike's gaze didn't waver from them and he never saw Valerie coming until it was too late.

Once he reached their booth, Valerie reacted fast and pulled back, using both of her hands to drive her knife into the guy's thigh. Mike cried out and released a string of curse words before turning murderous eyes on his sister. He then raised his gun and aimed it at her, but Valerie grabbed his wrist and stood up on her seat, bringing his arm with her.

JJ watched with pride as his sister twisted the guy's wrist, but unlike him, she broke it without hesitation or remorse. With the gun now in her hand, she lifted her foot and kicked him hard in the chest, sending him crashing into the empty bar behind them.

Valerie then pointed the gun at him. "That knife if planted in your femoral artery. If you remove it, you _will_ bleed out and die within minutes, but if you leave it there, stay very still, you might come out of here alive. Your choice, asshole."

The murderous look he'd been giving her earlier was still there, but he did as she said and didn't move an inch even though he was in obvious agony.

JJ's attention was pulled to their ringleader when he began shaking with rage. It was clear he didn't like his perfectly planned robbery being ruined by a couple of "kids". With his eyes locked on Valerie, he raised his shiny pistol and began to aim, but right as he raised his arm, the knife in JJ's hand went flying. The people in the diner gasped and screamed as it sailed through the air, landing right where he wanted it. Impaled in the crevice of his armpit.

Unlike his sister, JJ didn't bother telling him that the knife was in his axillary artery and if he pulled it out, he'd render that arm and the rest of his body temporarily useless. And as he predicted, "Michael" growled in pain as he snatched it out, his blood spurting everywhere. As he stumbled and dropped the knife and his gun, JJ knew it was time for these people to haul ass.

"Alright, everyone get out of here!" he yelled.

"Help is on the way," Valerie added. "Hurry!"

Everyone seemed to get the message that it was now or never because they all stood and began rushing for the door. That's when Scott and Sofia emerged from underneath the table, but when the other boy tried to reach for Sofia's hand to get her out of there, she turned to JJ with wide, scared eyes. She didn't want to leave him, but she had to. They had to finish this.

"I love you," he mouthed as he watched tears run down her cheeks.

When it was clear that she wasn't coming with him willingly, Scott leaned down and wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing her off her feet so he could carry her out.

As she was being swept away, Sofia reached out to him and screamed, "JJ!" Then she began speaking in Spanish, saying that she didn't want to leave him, but Scott seemed to neither understand or care as he continued to run for the door, following the rest of the patrons and staff outside. JJ couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief that Scott kept his promise and got her out of there despite her protests.

He must have relaxed a little too much though, because before he could do anything to protect himself, Mikey's elbow was headed for his face. JJ winced as he made contact with the spot above his eyebrow, breaking the skin. It definitely hurt, but it didn't cause as much damage as he'd probably hoped. Honestly, JJ had taken harder blows from his sister.

Since the blow was enough to get him to loosen his grip on his arm, Mikey was able to spin around and immediately raised his fist to punch him. JJ ducked and rammed his own fist into the guy's gut, making him growl in frustration and tackle him to the ground. If he were smart, he would've ran when he had the chance, but his ego was too big to let someone like JJ get the best of him. But if he wanted a fight, he'd give him one.

When they both tumbled to the floor, Mikey held him down and attempted to throw another punch to his face, but just as he was about to connect, JJ moved his head and listened as his knuckles cracked against the tile floor below. That seemed to anger him more as they continued their scuffle, JJ blocking all of his attempts.

But while he was on the ground, he saw that the ringleader was on the ground also and now had his gun back in his hand. With a shaky, weak arm, he lifted the gun and aimed it at his sister again, whose back was turned to him as she focused on the fight going on in front of her, waiting to intervene if she had to. He knew he had to warn her.

"Val, behind y—" the rest of his warning was cut off when Mikey took his distraction as a chance to wrap his hands around his throat. His eyes widened when he realized Valerie didn't hear him and was about to jump down to help him, completely ignoring the man with the gun behind her.

JJ thought for sure that he'd made a huge mistake, when a miracle happened.

Before Michael could fire off a shot, something came flying through the window, piercing him in the neck. He was immediately out like a light. A second later, the same happened to the asshole with his hands around his throat. He watched, amazed as what he now saw was a small dart impale his neck, making him release his grip and slump over. When JJ pushed his body off of him and stood, he saw that the same was for the one Valerie had taken down too.

He only knew one man with that kind of speed and precision. After a minute, said man came waltzing through the doors, gun in hand to make sure the coast was clear before coming over to them.

Valerie huffed as she dropped the gun and began taking it apart. "Oh, come on, Dad. I totally had that."

Jace shook his head at her. "I couldn't take that chance, baby girl." Reaching out, he helped her down from the booth before turning to him. "You okay, son?"

"Oh, yeah." He pointed to the small gash above his brow. "Just a scratch."

Smirking, his father reached out to turn his head to the side to get a better look. "That's quite a scratch." A look of pride overtook his face as he glanced around. "You two did good. Everyone got out of here without a scratch and it looks like they'll get all their things back too." He looked to the both of them and smiled. "They were lucky to have you here. This could've ended a lot worse if you weren't."

JJ nodded, not even wanting to think about another outcome.

"All in a days work of being a Herondale, right?" Valerie said.

"Lets just hope this only happens to your mother and I from now on," Jace chimed in. "We trained you for this world, but that doesn't mean we want you in it."

"Speaking of which, where is Mom?" JJ asked.

Their father smirked. "Tearing that getaway driver a new one." He motioned behind him and they all looked out of the window just in time to see their mother toss the getaway driver to the ground and land a solid kick to his stomach. JJ watched as his father let out a blissful sigh at the sight. "God, I love that woman."

Valerie rolled her eyes and asked, "So what's the plan?"

"Yeah, what's the plan?" JJ echoed. "Because I really need to get back to Sofia."

"And I need to get back to Scott," she said, then quickly cleared her throat. "As . . . as a friend, of course."

Jace turned back to them with a raised brow, but didn't acknowledge Valerie's last statement. "Well, backup will be arriving in about a minute to cart these assholes away and hopefully return those people's belongings to them. The Agency will take it from there." He glanced at their booth. "And, since I'm guessing none of you got a chance to eat, how about you bring them back to our place so we can all order some takeout. Give them a chance to cool down and relax, you know?"

JJ nodded, now suddenly starving. "Yeah, that sounds great."

Jace tucked his gun away. "Alright, let's go home."

At that, JJ made a bee-line for the door, forgetting about everything else as he headed for the only thing that mattered.

Her.

.o.O.o.

"Ouch, Mom, that stings."

"Then quit moving so I can clean it faster," she said.

JJ winced again as his mother continued to dab at the gash above his brow with a wet cloth. They were in the kitchen trying to get him patched up, since he'd refused help earlier in order to get Sofia settled.

It'd been hours since they returned from the disaster at the diner and he could tell she was still a little shaken up by what happened. JJ had held her for a long time in that parking lot as she sobbed against his chest, and whether is was in relief that he was okay or anger that she hadn't been able to do anything to help, he had no idea. All he remembered was her hands clutching him so tight like she never wanted to let him go.

And when they got home, he made sure she got something to eat and calmed down a little before he allowed himself to get patched up. He knew it was different for her. Her world didn't include weapons and violence as a normal thing. The twins had prepared their whole lives for this, but she hadn't. She'd been completely blindsided.

Valerie was sitting with her now on the couch, some chick-flick they both liked up on the TV screen. Scott had left a little over an hour ago to help his mom out with something, he and his sister sharing a longer-than-normal hug by the door.

As his mother finished up with cleaning and closing his cut with one of those butterfly strips, a thought came to mind.

"Hey, Mom?"

She took a step back to look him in the eyes. "Yes, sweetheart?"

"Would it be alright if Sofia stayed the night . . ." he paused, trying to gauge her reaction before he finished. ". . . with me?"

Clary raised a brow. "As in, in your room? Together?"

JJ nodded and she immediately opened her mouth to say something else when he held up a hand to stop her. "Just, hear me out for a second, please." Only when she seemed to give him permission did he continue. "It's not what you think, okay? She's still clearly shaken up about what happened today and I think she'll feel a lot better if she stays here for the night instead of going home where she can't talk to anyone. I doubt she'll be able to sleep alone and I . . . I can take care of her, Mom."

Clary took in a breath. "I don't know, JJ . . ."

"Haven't you and Dad ever had a moment like this?" he asked. "Where something crazy happened and you didn't want to be alone afterwards? Where all you wanted to do was hold each other and know that you were both okay?" From the look in her eyes, he already knew the answer. "Well, that's all I'm asking for with Sofia. Just a chance to be there for her and know that she's okay."

His mother's shoulders finally relaxed and she reached up to tuck a curl out of his eye. "I understand," she said. "And as long as it's okay with your father, I'm fine with it."

"As long as I'm okay with what?" Jace asked as he strolled into the kitchen. Stepping up behind his wife, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into him, planting a quick kiss to her temple.

Clary smiled brightly as she tipped her head back to look up at him. "JJ wants Sofia to spend the night with him," she said, and when he also raised a brow, she quickly added, "Just to sleep, babe."

Looking up, his father met his gaze and held it. He must have seen something in his eyes that made him understand because after a second he nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay with it." His eyes traveled to the living room where Sofia was curled up on the couch. "That girl needs you now, son. And from experience, there's nothing more healing than being with the person you love during tough times."

"I couldn't agree more," his mother added, not taking her eyes off her husband.

JJ could only hope that he and Sofia would have even a fraction of that love and devotion his parents had as time went on. After thanking them both profusely, he hopped off of his stool and made his way to the living room. Once he reached the couch, he noticed that Valerie had fallen asleep already and would probably have to be carried to bed by their father later. But right now, his sole focus was on Sofia, who looked tired but still too freaked out to do anything about it.

Holding his hand out to her, he said softly, "Come on, Fia, you're staying with me tonight."

She looked up at him, and after a moment she simply nodded and stood with her hand in his. JJ stared into those beautiful hazel eyes that showed just how drained and exhausted she was. So when he grasped her hips and lifted her up, Sofia didn't hesitate to wrap her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Then she closed her eyes and put her head on his shoulder, relaxing her body against his.

With her secured in his arms, JJ lightly kissed her shoulder before heading up the stairs to his room. He knew he had to be careful with her tonight. She wasn't her usual witty, sweet self and he didn't want to trigger her into having a nightmare tonight.

Once he made it into his room, JJ nudged the door closed with his foot. He decided then that it would be best to leave the lights off. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he placed Sofia back on her feet and reached up to cup her cheek.

"How are you feeling?" he whispered.

Sofia sighed. "I'm still trying to process everything. My mind is all foggy and it almost seems like today was just a bad dream, but I know it wasn't."

"That's okay. It's a normal reaction to have," he said. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Me too." With a tentative hand, she traced the skin around his cut. "I don't like seeing you hurt, JJ."

"Trust me, Fia, I'm fine. Valerie once dislocated my shoulder and bruised my ribs all in one day while we were sparring. If I can survive that, I can survive anything."

Sofia nodded, but her eyes lingered on the bandaged skin. "I guess if I'm going to be with you, I have to get used to this sort of thing, huh?"

JJ shook his head. "The only thing you have to get used to is knowing that I will do whatever it takes to protect you. We live in a shitty world, but I'm going to do my best to shield you from it because you deserve to only be surrounded by love and happiness."

Her gaze softened. "You do too."

He smiled. "I already am, Fia. It's been that way since the moment I met you."

"Are you trying to fill me with warm feelings and butterflies in order to make forget about today?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Because if you are, it's definitely working."

"Good." JJ wrapped his arms around her. "Does that mean you're ready for bed?"

Nuzzling into his chest, she hummed her approval. JJ would've stayed up with her if need be, but he had to admit that he was exhausted too. The adrenaline from earlier had long worn off and he was ready for this crazy day to be over so they could start fresh tomorrow.

Reaching down, JJ grasped the bottom of her shirt with sure hands and whispered in her ear, "Arms up, baby."

Sofia shivered at his words, but stood back and did as he said, her gaze never wavering from his as he slowly slid the fabric up and over her head. Then went her jeans as he unbuttoned, unzipped, and allowed her to shimmy out of them.

Even in the dark, JJ could see every glorious dip and curve of her beautiful body. It wasn't his first time seeing her like this. They hadn't exactly had sex yet, but they'd done enough exploring to the point where he knew she was comfortable around him and vice versa. But as amazing as she looked in just a lacy bra and underwear, tonight was about more than just exploring. It was about comfort.

Seeing as though she had nothing to sleep in, JJ drew his eyes away from her body and quickly made it over to his dresser to get a shirt for her. He pulled out a black t-shirt with paint splattered on it, which was what most of his shirts looked like, but it was soft and he figured it'd be good enough to sleep in. But just as he was about to turn around and give it to her, he felt arms wrap around him from behind.

Sofia rested her head in between his shoulder blades. "Are you sure it's alright if I stay?"

"Of course." JJ turned around to look down at her. "My parents are fine with it and your mom usually doesn't care when you stay for one of Valerie's sleepovers. We'll just tell her you're staying for one of those without specifying with which twin."

"You think that'll work?"

JJ shrugged. "Maybe, but that's a problem for tomorrow. For now, let's just focus on getting you relaxed."

"Okay," Sofia whispered. As she looked up at him, he noticed a glint of vulnerability in her hazel eyes. She wasn't hiding it to trick him into thinking that she was perfectly fine, and he loved that she trusted him enough to bare those emotions to him. He'd do anything to make it better, even if it was just for a moment.

His resolve cracking, JJ tossed the shirt he'd gotten for her on the bed before cupping her face in his hands and crashing his lips to hers. Sofia gasped at the sudden contact, but her grip on him soon tightened as she pushed herself up on her tiptoes to kiss him back. The way she kissed him was passionate with a hint of desperation, which only seemed to spur him on.

They pulled away long enough to get rid of his shirt as well and then JJ was leading her to his bed, backing her up until she came in contact with the mattress and fell back into his dark sheets. Grabbing a pillow, he slid it underneath her head before continuing their kiss, groaning slightly when their chests pressed together. Sofia immediately arched up into him, clearly wanting to feel every part of him against her. And as passionate as their kiss was, it wasn't sexual. No, this was pure intimacy. This was him showing her that she could be vulnerable with him without fear, and that he'd be there for her no matter what.

Slowing down the kiss, JJ wrapped his arms around her and held her to him as he rose to his knees and sat back. Sofia sighed against his lips as she moved to straddle him, her fingers gliding into his hair. Their kiss soon turned into a few pecks here and there before JJ broke away to meet her gaze again. That glint of vulnerability was still there, but now there was also a sea of love and contentment.

Smiling to himself, JJ dipped his head into the crook of her neck and released a calming breath once she began running her fingers through his hair. It'd been a while since they were together like this and he had to admit that he missed feeling her against him.

"¿Mi amor?"

He hummed his response against her neck. "Hmmm?"

"Thank you," she whispered.

Pulling back, JJ reached up to cup her cheek so she'd look at him. "For what?"

Sofia leaned into his touch. "For risking yourself to protect me, to protect everyone. I mean, someone could've been shot because they were too scared to comply, and you and Valerie chose to step in without even having to think about it. Not to mention, you kept me from having a panic attack and probably getting shot myself." When his jaw clenched at her words, she quickly lifted her hand to cover his and linked their fingers together. "Woah, down tiger. I know you don't want to think about what could've happened. I'm just trying to thank you for being a hero. _My_ hero."

Calming down, JJ rested his forehead on hers. "You know I'd do anything for you, right?"

"Of course, mi amor."

He pressed a kiss to her lips and looked between both of her eyes. "I love you, Fia."

Sofia smiled for the for time that night, making his heart swell. "Te amo también, JJ."

"Good." He kissed her again before reaching behind her to grab the shirt he'd tossed on the bed earlier. "Now let's go to bed. For _real_ this time."

That smile stayed on her face as she put the shirt on and did that thing girls do where they reach under their shirts and take off their bra before pulling it through. When she was done, JJ grasped her hips and tossed her higher up on the bed, making her gasp. Then he stood to remove his jeans, watching her slip under the covers as he did.

The sight of her in his bed made him pause for a moment, his eyes focusing on the way her dark curls and olive skin looked in the moonlight. He wanted to take a mental snapshot so he could put it on a canvas later.

Everything fell silent as JJ climbed into bed with her and laid down on his back. Without saying a word, Sofia shifted until she was laying on his chest with her leg draped across his.

"Is this okay?" she whispered, getting comfortable.

JJ simply wrapped his arm around her and held her close. "It's perfect, Fia. Absolutely perfect."

With a sigh, she relaxed into him and closed her eyes. JJ stayed silent, mindlessly sifting his fingers through her hair as she finally let herself rest. Before going to sleep himself, he simply laid there and watched her because he had no idea when they'd get another moment like this.

As cool as his parents were, they weren't going to just let Sofia sleep in his bed whenever she wanted. Today was an exception because they understood that she needed him after what happened. Of course they snuck around like every other teenager, but it was rare for her to stay the entire night without having to creep back into Valerie's room before anyone woke up. So the fact that they could relax and be together without the stress of being found out was something he wanted to cherish.

But after a minute, JJ's eyelids began to feel extremely heavy and he realized that he needed to rest just as much as she did. Moving both arms around her waist, he got comfortable himself before letting his eyes shut.

Then he pressed his lips to the top of her head and whispered the last words he'd say to her that night. And as he spoke those words, he realized—after the chaos of today—he meant them in the literal sense.

"Sweet dreams, Fia."

* * *

 **What did you think?**

 **Love it? Hate it?**

 **Let me know!**

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this outtake and getting to see the twins in action. A few of you also wanted to see a little more of JJ and Sofia, so I figured I'd incorporate that too. And I know I said these outtakes would be temporary but if you guys keep giving me these amazing ideas, I might have to keep them coming :)**


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